What's Missing
Sprinted across the finish line just in time.
The Subject. (Who or what sprinted?)
Where did you leave your backpack?
Interrogative (It asks a question).
The hungry students ate their lunch in the cafeteria.
Simple (One independent clause).
I love pizza it is my favorite food.
Run-on. (Needs a period or semicolon between "pizza" and "it").
The 'A' in the FANBOYS acronym stands for this word.
What is "And"?
The giant, hairy spider in the corner of the ceiling.
The Predicate. (What is the spider doing? No verb/action is linked to the subject.)
I cannot believe we actually won the championship!
Exclamatory (Expresses strong excitement/emotion).
I wanted to finish my essay, but I fell asleep at my desk.
Compound (Two independent clauses joined by "but").
The bell rang, the students ran out.
Comma Splice. (A comma isn't strong enough to join two full sentences; needs a semicolon or "and").
In the sentence "I stayed home because I was sick," what type of conjunction is "because"?
What is a Subordinating Conjunction or SWABI
Because the fire alarm started ringing during the test.
A Complete Thought. (This is a dependent clause; it leaves the listener hanging.)
Please hand your essays to the student in the front row.
Imperative (It gives a polite command or request).
While the teacher was talking, the fire alarm suddenly rang.
Complex (One dependent clause + one independent clause).
Study for your test or you might fail.
Run-on. (Missing a comma before the conjunction "or").
This 3-letter FANBOYS word is used to show a contrast or a change in direction.
What is "But"?
After the long, grueling hike up the mountain.
A Complete Thought. (Similar to $600, but the prepositional phrase structure often tricks students into thinking it's a long enough "sentence.")
The final exam will cover everything we learned this semester.
Declarative (It simply states a fact).
The cat and the dog chased the ball and played in the yard.
Simple (This is a "Compound Subject" and "Compound Predicate," but it is still just one clause!).
I forgot my binder, however, I had my notes.
Comma Splice. ("However" is a transition, not a conjunction. Needs a semicolon before "however").
Words like "Although," "Since," and "While" are used to start this type of clause.
What is a Dependent Clause?
The player with the best stats on the entire team.
The Predicate. (Despite the length, there is no action. "With the best stats" just describes the player.)
Stop.
Imperative (Even though it’s one word, the "you" is understood, making it a command).
Since the final is next week, you should study every night, or you might feel overwhelmed.
Compound-Complex (Contains two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause).
Walking to school is fun I like the fresh air it makes me feel awake.
Run-On Sentence. (Three thoughts smashed together without any punctuation).
This punctuation mark is often used to join two independent clauses without using a conjunction at all.
What is a Semicolon?