You might be dealing with run-on sentences, clauses, or sentence fragments! Have you ever written a long, confusing sentence that seems to go on forever? Or maybe you’ve written a short sentence that feels incomplete?
Understanding these common grammar mistakes will help you write clearer, more professional sentences.
✅ Run-on sentences – What they are and how to fix them
✅ Fragments – How to turn incomplete thoughts into full sentences
✅ Clauses – The building blocks of sentences
Meaning and How to Fix Run-on Sentences
A run-on sentence (also called a rambling sentence) happens when two or more sentences are incorrectly joined together without proper punctuation or a conjunction.
🚨 Example of a Run-On Sentence:
❌ Sarah likes to go swimming she doesn’t know how to swim safely.
🔹 Why is this wrong?
There are two complete thoughts in one sentence, but they are not correctly separated.
🔹 Ways to Fix a Run-On Sentence:
✅ Use a comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
✔ Sarah likes to go swimming, but she doesn’t know how to swim safely.
✅ Use a semicolon (;) if the sentences are closely related
✔ Sarah likes to go swimming; she doesn’t know how to swim safely.
✅ Use a period (.) to separate them into two sentences
✔ Sarah likes to go swimming. She doesn’t know how to swim safely.
📌 Common Mistake: The “Comma Splice”
A comma splice is when two sentences are incorrectly joined with just a comma.
🚨 Example of a Comma Splice:
❌ I bought a new purse today, I cannot wait for you to see it.
🔹 How to Fix It:
✔ I bought a new purse today. I cannot wait for you to see it! (Use a period.)
✔ I bought a new purse today, and I cannot wait for you to see it! (Use a conjunction.)
✔ I bought a new purse today; I cannot wait for you to see it! (Use a semicolon.)
Meaning and How to Fix Sentence Fragments
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that is missing a subject, a verb, or both. It does not express a complete thought.
🚨 Example of a Sentence Fragment:
❌ Did a horrible job mowing the lawn. (What’s missing? The subject!)
🔹 How to Fix It:
✔ Tommy did a horrible job mowing the lawn. (Now it has a subject: “Tommy.”)
📌 More Examples of Sentence Fragments & Fixes
| Fragment ❌ | Fixed Sentence ✅ |
|---|---|
| Because I was late. | I was late because I missed the bus. |
| Walking through the park on a sunny day. | I love walking through the park on a sunny day. |
| Even though she was tired. | Even though she was tired, she finished her homework. |
🔹 Key Point: A sentence needs a subject and a predicate to be complete!
Meaning and How to Fix Clauses
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Clauses can be independent or dependent.
🔹 Independent Clause (Can Stand Alone) 🚀
An independent clause is a complete sentence. It has both a subject and a predicate and can stand alone.
✅ Examples of Independent Clauses:
✔ Katy is nice.
✔ He loves playing basketball.
✔ The sun is shining today.
🔹 Dependent Clause (Needs More Information) 🚨
A dependent clause has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It needs an independent clause to make sense.
🚨 Example of a Dependent Clause:
❌ Molly picked blue. (Independent clause)
❌ Because Molly picked blue. (Dependent clause – It feels unfinished!)
🔹 How to Fix It:
✔ Because Molly picked blue, we painted the room blue. (Now it makes sense!)
📌 How to Identify Independent vs. Dependent Clauses
| Clause Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Independent | She loves coffee. (✅ Can stand alone.) |
| Dependent | Because she loves coffee. (❌ Feels incomplete!) |
| Complete Sentence | Because she loves coffee, she drinks it every morning. (✅ Fixed!) |
🔹 Key Point: A dependent clause must be connected to an independent clause!
Quick Recap: Run-On Sentences, Fragments, and Clauses
| Mistake | What It Means | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Run-on Sentence | Two sentences joined incorrectly | Use a period, semicolon, or a comma with FANBOYS |
| Comma Splice | Two sentences joined with just a comma | Add a conjunction or separate with punctuation |
| Sentence Fragment | An incomplete thought (missing subject/verb) | Add the missing part to complete the sentence |
| Dependent Clause | A clause that cannot stand alone | Connect it to an independent clause |
Explore More:
- Understanding and Fixing Sentence Fragments
In this lesson, you will be learning about sentence fragments. Ever … - Types of Sentence Structure: Simple, Fragmented, or Run-OnIn this English Grammar lesson, you’ll be learning about sentence structure, …
- Sentence vs. Sentence Fragments: Know the Difference!Sentences and sentence fragments! Whether you’re a student, a professional, or someone …
- How to Fix Run-On Sentences, Fragments, and ClausesYou might be dealing with run-on sentences, clauses, or sentence …
- How to Use “No Matter” Phrase in EnglishHave you ever wondered how to express that something will …
