English Language Arts
Grade 8
15 min
Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on?
Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on?
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define and identify complete sentences, sentence fragments, and run-on sentences.
Distinguish between independent and dependent clauses.
Analyze sentences for the presence of a subject, a predicate, and a complete thought.
Apply strategies to correct sentence fragments.
Apply various strategies (e.g., conjunctions, semicolons, periods) to correct run-on sentences.
Revise their own writing to eliminate fragments and run-ons, improving clarity and flow.
Ever read something that just didn't make sense, or felt like it went on forever without a break? 🤯 Good writing depends on clear, complete thoughts!
In this lesson, you'll learn the essential building blocks of clear communication: complete sentences. We'll explore how to identify and fix c...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Complete SentenceA group of words that expresses a complete thought and contains both a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a predicate (what the subject does or is).The diligent student studied for the exam.
Sentence FragmentAn incomplete sentence that lacks a subject, a predicate, or fails to express a complete thought, even if it has both. It often sounds like a piece of a sentence.Because he was tired.
Run-on SentenceTwo or more independent clauses (complete thoughts) that are incorrectly joined together without proper punctuation or a coordinating conjunction.The bell rang the students rushed out the door.
Independent ClauseA group of words that contains a subject and a predicate and can stand alone as a complete sentence.She loves to read.
Dependent...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Complete Sentence Rule
A complete sentence must have a subject, a predicate (verb), and express a complete thought.
To check if a sentence is complete, ask: 'Who or what is doing something?' (subject) and 'What are they doing or what is being said about them?' (predicate). Then, ensure it makes sense on its own.
Identifying Fragments
A fragment is missing one or more of the three complete sentence requirements: subject, predicate, or a complete thought.
Look for phrases that start with subordinating conjunctions (e.g., 'because,' 'since,' 'while') but aren't attached to an independent clause, or phrases that lack a clear actor or action.
Identifying Run-ons (Fused & Comma Splice)
A run-on sentence occurs wh...
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Challenging
Analyze the following: "Because the author presents a compelling argument. Her use of statistical evidence is particularly persuasive, she overlooks a key counterargument." What combination of errors does this sentence contain?
A.fused sentence followed by a sentence fragment.
B.Two comma splices in a row.
C.run-on sentence followed by a complete sentence.
D.sentence fragment followed by a comma splice.
Challenging
Original sentence: "The new policy was implemented without student input, many students protested." Which of the following revisions most effectively emphasizes the CAUSE-AND-EFFECT relationship between the two ideas?
A.The new policy was implemented without student input, and many students protested.
B.The new policy was implemented without student input; many students protested.
C.Because the new policy was implemented without student input, many students protested.
D.The new policy was implemented without student input. Many students protested.
Challenging
Read the passage: "Although the assignment was challenging, the students collaborated effectively. They divided the research tasks. Each member contributed to the final presentation, which earned them a high grade." Which of the following sentence structure errors is NOT present in the passage?
A.Sentence fragment
B.Comma splice
C.Fused sentence
D.All of the above (no errors are present)
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Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on? is a Grade 8 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
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Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on?
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This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.