Questions: Sentence Fragments and Run-ons: Identification and Correction

Question 1

Which of the following is a sentence fragment?

• A. She ran.
• B. Running through the park every morning before sunrise and arriving home exhausted.
• C. Although the report was long, it covered every relevant detail.
• D. He arrived late; she had already left.

Answer: (B)

Option B is a fragment: it contains a long participial phrase ('Running through the park...') but no main subject performing a main verb — there is no one 'running' in a grammatically complete sense, and no complete thought. Its length is irrelevant. Option A is complete (subject: 'she', verb: 'ran'). Option C is complete despite beginning with a subordinating conjunction — the main clause 'it covered every relevant detail' is present. Option D is a correctly punctuated compound sentence. Length is the classic red herring: fragments can be quite long.

Question 2

A student writes: 'The experiment produced unexpected results, the team was surprised.' What error is this, and what is the best correction?

• A. Fragment — the second clause is incomplete and needs a subject added
• B. Comma splice — a comma cannot join two independent clauses; fix by using a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction with the comma
• C. No error — a comma correctly signals a pause between two closely related ideas
• D. Run-on — both clauses must be deleted and rewritten as a single clause

Answer: (B)

This is a comma splice: two independent clauses ('The experiment produced unexpected results' and 'the team was surprised') joined with only a comma. A comma signals a pause; it cannot substitute for the division between complete sentences. Correct fixes include: a period ('...results. The team...'), a semicolon ('...results; the team...'), or a comma + coordinating conjunction ('...results, so the team...'). Option C is the most tempting wrong answer — it reflects the common misconception that comma splices are acceptable when the ideas are related.

Question 3

A sentence fragment is typically short, while a run-on sentence is generally long.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Fragment and run-on status are determined by grammatical structure, not length. A fragment can be quite long ('Hoping against all odds that the committee would eventually reverse its controversial decision after months of deliberation') while a run-on can be very short ('She ran he fell'). The diagnostic tests are structural: does the sentence have a subject, verb, and complete thought? (fragment test) Can you insert a period between the halves? (run-on test) Length is irrelevant to both.

Question 4

A fused sentence — two independent clauses written with no punctuation between them — is a type of run-on error.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

Run-on is the category; comma splice and fused sentence are its two main types. A comma splice uses a comma where a stronger mark is needed; a fused sentence omits any punctuation between the clauses entirely. Both stem from the same underlying misunderstanding: failing to recognize where one complete thought ends and another begins. 'She arrived early he was already there' is a fused sentence — and is just as much a run-on error as a comma splice.

Question 5

What are the two diagnostic questions you can use to identify fragments and run-ons? Explain what each question reveals.

Model answer: For suspected fragments: 'Can this group of words stand alone and fully answer who did what?' If no, it is a fragment — something is missing (subject, verb, or complete thought). For suspected run-ons: 'Can I insert a period and a capital letter between the two halves without changing meaning?' If yes, it is likely a run-on — two independent clauses are being incorrectly joined.

These questions work because they test the underlying grammatical facts directly rather than relying on length or instinct. The fragment test checks for completeness; the run-on test checks for improper joining. Together they cover the two fundamental sentence-boundary errors. Building fluency with these diagnostics develops the sentence-level awareness that underlies all clear prose writing.