4.4 fused or run-on sentences
Learning Objectives
- Identify fused and run-on sentence errors.
- Identify strategies for correcting fused and run-on sentences.
A fused sentence is sometimes called a run-on sentence. The concept is simple. If your teacher marks fused sentence or run-on on your paper, it’s because you have put two complete thoughts or independent clauses together without the proper punctuation or any kind of sentence boundary. Here is an example:
There were a thousand zombies cheering for the home team when I walked onto the field I don’t think even one of them noticed me.
And, here is the corrected sentence:
There were a thousand zombies cheering for the home team when I walked onto the field; I don’t think even one of them noticed me.
The key is to remember that you must have some kind of boundary between your independent clauses. You can use punctuation, such as the period or the semicolon, or you can use a comma with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet).
NOTE: A comma alone cannot separate independent clauses. Using a comma to separate independent clauses actually creates a comma splice.
Comma Splice
Many students think a comma splice is just any kind of comma error, but a comma splice is a very specific type of comma error. A comma splice occurs when you use a comma to separate two independent clauses. A comma is not strong enough to perform this function, which causes the problem. It’s important to remember to use proper punctuation to separate your independent clauses; otherwise, you end up with a sentence like this:
He promised me, if I didn’t report him, he would never do it again, however, the next night, he was back, playing his bagpipes under my balcony.
Here, you should notice the only comma error is the one between “again” and “however”. The reason this is a comma splice is because “the” actually begins a new sentence or independent clause, but there is not a proper boundary between these two sentences. Here is how the sentence could be corrected:
He promised me, if I didn’t report him, he would never do it again; however, the next night, he was back, playing his bagpipes under my balcony.
Sentence Fragment
Sentence fragments always make the list of the most common errors, and they are among the most seriously stigmatizing errors we can make. To put it simply, a sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that you have punctuated as if it is a complete sentence. Sometimes, fragments are missing a verb. Sometimes, fragments are missing a subject. Sometimes, a fragment is simply a dependent clause punctuated like a complete sentence. Here are some examples:
The haunting of the house on the craggy hill just outside of town.
Because they are hairy and frightening with large, pointed fangs and shiny, yellow eyes.
You’ll notice that each of these so-called sentences is not a complete sentence. They are both missing parts that would make them complete. You always have options about how you correct a sentence fragment, but here are some possible corrections for our two sample sentence fragments:
The haunting of the house on the craggy hill just outside of town was the subject of a recent documentary.
I am afraid of those spiders because they are hairy and frightening with large, pointed fangs and shiny, yellow eyes.
Tip
Fragments are among the most serious errors in academic writing. While you may read fiction and informal prose that contain sentence fragments, in academic writing, fragments are generally frowned upon. In fact, research on how errors are perceived by people indicates that fragments are what we call “status marking” errors, which means people will make negative assumptions about the intelligence of the writer when they see fragments in writing.
Of course, making a sentence fragment error has nothing to do with your intelligence. Usually, for native speakers of English, making a sentence fragment error is more about not editing carefully or just not being practiced in the rules.
In this video, the Grammar Professor will review what a fragment is and how you can avoid fragments in your academic writing.
Figure 4.1 Fragment. Video [2:01]
Attributions
Video Transcript
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) Icon is displayed. [music plays]
Narrator: Fragments.
Student: I noticed I had “fragment” marked on my paper. I know this is a serious error, but I am not sure what this really means.
Teacher: A common error in student writing is the sentence fragment. A sentence fragment occurs when students punctuate in incomplete thought as it if were a complete thought.
Student: Can you give me an example?
Teacher: Sure! Here is an example of a sentence fragment.
[teacher writes on board]: Because I was so tired from working late last night.
Teacher: Here, this is really just an introductory phrase. It is not a complete thought or independent clause, which means it should not be punctuated like a complete sentence. Instead, there should be a comma after “night,” and the sentence should continue.
Student: That makes sense. So, basically, a sentence fragment happens when you punctuate a sentence like it is a real sentence, but it really isn’t.
Teacher: Right! And, it can be easy to miss fragment errors. The key is to look at the text you have from the capital letter to the period and ask yourself if that text is really a complete sentence. Most fragment errors occur because students simply miss the errors when they edit in a hurry-or not at all.
Student: But, I know I read text online and in some of the books I have read that contain fragments. If those authors can use fragments, why can’t I?
Teacher: It is true that some writers will purposely use fragments for effect. However, in academic writing, fragments are not as acceptable. Plus, it can be difficult to use a fragment effectively, so most professors will tell students to steer clear of them. Right now, you want to work on creating complete sentences.
Student: That makes sense! And, it is good to know what this means. I will now pay closer attention to my sentences when I edit. I need to make sure they are complete with both a subject and a verb.
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