Run-ons & Fragments
Is the following a complete sentence, run-on, or fragment:
The scaly, colorful snake and the small, green frog.
Fragment
Does the following sentence have correct parallel structure:
James needs to clean the kitchen, pick up groceries, and makes dinner before his mom gets home.
No, it should be "make dinner" not "makes dinner"
What pronoun should go in the blank?
Alice took her car to the mechanic. ___ needed an oil change.
It; the car needs the oil change.
Is the modifier correctly placed in the sentence?
Covered in tomatoes, Sally enjoyed her salad.
No; Sally is not covered in tomatoes.
Is the following sentence redundant?
The large dog is big.
Yes.
Is the following a complete sentence, run-on, or fragment:
The big, fluffy dog chased the small, scrawny cat.
Complete sentence
Does the following sentence have correct parallel structure:
Brooke took the subway, hailed a cab, and climbed the fire escape to get home.
Yes; took, hailed, and climbed are all past tense.
What pronoun should go in the blank?
The journalists had many questions for the celebrity; ___ spoke to the star for 50 minutes.
They; the journalists are speaking to the celebrity.
Is the modifier correctly placed in the sentence?
Moving very slowly, Tyler's snail lost the race.
Yes; the snail is moving very slowly.
Is the following sentence redundant?
Our science professor, Dr. Alex Smith, has a degree in nuclear physics.
No, nothing in the sentence repeats information already given.
Is the following a complete sentence, run-on, or fragment:
Brittany went to the store to get bread, she needed whole grain for her favorite grilled cheese.
Run-on
Which part of the following sentence is not parallel structure:
The rock band has 4 members: Terry on guitar, Eric on bass, Colin on drums, and Bryan as the lead singer.
"Bryan as the lead singer"
What pronoun should go in the blank?
The Johnson family went on ____ annual family vacation.
Their; the vacation belongs to the whole family.
Is the modifier correctly placed in the sentence?
Lauren took her dog to the vet who had fleas.
Is the following sentence redundant?
Cindy took her dog to the park to meet other dogs; there were so many dogs there.
Yes; we already know that there are dogs at the park.
Is the following a complete sentence, run-on, or fragment:
The large, aggressive dog that lives in the house on the hill.
Fragment
How can the following sentence be modified in one word to have parallel structure:
Daren went to the family reunion to see his aunt, brought pie, and meet his younger cousins.
"Eat pie"
What pronoun should go in the blank?
Aaron and Erin painted a mural for the school. __ brought the paint, and she brought the brushes.
He; Aaron brought the paint while Erin brought the brushes.
Where should the modifier "the couple down the street" be placed to make the most sense?
Linda [1] and Steve [2] set their yard on fire [3].
[2]; Linda and Steve, the couple down the street, set their yard on fire.
What needs to be removed from the sentence to reduce redundancy?
The reindeer struggled to pull the sleigh through the snow; the snow made it hard to move the sleigh.
"The snow made it hard to move the sleigh."
Is the following a complete sentence, run-on, or fragment:
The dark, rolling clouds brought rain to the dry, barren valley.
Complete sentence
Does the following sentence have correct parallel structure:
Angela made mashed potatoes, cooked a turkey, and cleaned the house for Thanksgiving.
Yes; made, cooked, and cleaned are all past tense.
What pronoun should go in the blank?
The house has many rooms within __ walls.
Its; the walls belong to the house.
Where should the modifier "the chess champion" be placed in the sentence?
Bruce [1] easily won [2] the chess match against Harold [3].
[1]; Bruce, the chess champion, easily won the chess match against Harold.
What needs to be removed from the sentence to reduce redundancy?
The kids loved the egg hunt; there were eggs hidden everywhere.
"There were eggs hidden everywhere."