Complete Sentence, Fragment or Run-On?
Michael plays chess every weekend.
Complete Sentence
The cow in the field.
POSSIBLE Answer: The cow in the field ate grass.
I love to write papers I would write one every day if I had the time.
POSSIBLE Answer: I love to write papers; I would write one every day if I had the time.
True or False? The subject of a sentence tells whom or what the sentence is about.
TRUE
I’m having a good day today it is my birthday.
Run-on
This afternoon.
POSSIBLE Answer: I hope we can go outside this afternoon.
John hit the baseball very far it went over the right-field fence.
John hit the baseball very far, and it went over the right-field fence.
What is missing from this sentence: the subject, the verb, or both? The kids at the zoo.
The VERB.
When the sun comes up?
Fragment
Before the big game on Friday.
POSSIBLE Answer: I will take a nap before the big game on Friday.
We went to the movies after the movies we went home.
POSSIBLE Answer: We went to the movies, and after the movies, we went home.
True or False? A dependent clause does NOT contain a verb.
FALSE - a dependent clause has both a subject and a verb, but it begins with a subordinating conjunction.
The cat meowing in the tree.
Fragment
And I studied before the test.
POSSIBLE Answers: Joe and I studied before the test.
Mary, Sandra, and Ann are coming to dinner tonight they will bring salad.
POSSIBLE Answer: Mary, Sandra, and Ann are coming to dinner tonight. They will bring salad.
Independent or Dependent Clause?: Because I wanted something to eat.
Dependent - "because" is a subordinating conjunction!
I became tired when carrying the books.
Complete Sentence
A giant pink polka-dotted cat with a top hat.
POSSIBLE Answer: I had a nightmare about a giant pink polka-dotted cat with a top hat.
What day of the week is your favorite mine is Friday.
POSSIBLE Answer: What day of the week is your favorite? Mine is Friday.
True or False: You can NEVER begin a sentence with the word "because."
FALSE - you CAN begin a sentence with "because" as long as you follow the dependent clause with an independent clause.