Clauses, Fragments, Run-ons & Comma Splices

1. She ran.

There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

Fragment: the sentence is too short and needs more details to be a complete thought.

The given answer is correct because the sentence "She ran" is a complete and grammatically correct sentence. It has a subject "she" and a verb "ran" which makes it a complete thought. There is no need for additional details or information to make it a complete sentence.

Explanation

The given answer is correct because the sentence "She ran" is a complete and grammatically correct sentence. It has a subject "she" and a verb "ran" which makes it a complete thought. There is no need for additional details or information to make it a complete sentence.

2. He is very good as long as Miss Bongiorno is around, but he goes to the freezer for ice-cream when she leaves.

This sentence has three independent clauses.

This sentence has two independent clauses.

This sentence has one independent clause.

This sentence has two independent clauses. The first independent clause is "He is very good as long as Miss Bongiorno is around" and the second independent clause is "he goes to the freezer for ice-cream when she leaves." Both clauses can stand alone as separate sentences and express complete thoughts.

Explanation

This sentence has two independent clauses. The first independent clause is "He is very good as long as Miss Bongiorno is around" and the second independent clause is "he goes to the freezer for ice-cream when she leaves." Both clauses can stand alone as separate sentences and express complete thoughts.

3. This is going to be the most difficult exam of your college career, you had better start studying for it immediately.

There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

Fragment: put a comma after immediately and finish the sentence.

Run-on: replace that comma with a semicolon.

This sentence is a run-on because it contains two independent clauses without proper punctuation or conjunction. The correct answer suggests replacing the comma after "immediately" with a semicolon to separate the two clauses. This will make the sentence grammatically correct and improve its clarity and readability.

Explanation

This sentence is a run-on because it contains two independent clauses without proper punctuation or conjunction. The correct answer suggests replacing the comma after "immediately" with a semicolon to separate the two clauses. This will make the sentence grammatically correct and improve its clarity and readability.

4. Perplexed by the rising rates of inflation and alarmed by the decline in major construction projects.

There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

Run-on: put a comma after inflation.

Fragment: put a comma after projects and finish the sentence.

The given correct answer is "Fragment: put a comma after projects and finish the sentence." This explanation suggests that the sentence is a fragment and needs to be completed by putting a comma after "projects" and finishing the sentence. This implies that the sentence is incomplete and needs further information or clarification.

Explanation

The given correct answer is "Fragment: put a comma after projects and finish the sentence." This explanation suggests that the sentence is a fragment and needs to be completed by putting a comma after "projects" and finishing the sentence. This implies that the sentence is incomplete and needs further information or clarification.

5. Although he had been an often decorated soldier during World War II and had fought many battles for the losing cause of liberalism in Congress.

There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

Run-on: put a comma after World War II.

Run-on: put a semicolon after World War II.

Fragment: put a comma after Congress and finish the sentence.

The given correct answer is "Fragment: put a comma after Congress and finish the sentence." This is because the sentence is incomplete and lacks a main clause. Adding a comma after "Congress" and completing the sentence would make it grammatically correct.

Explanation

The given correct answer is "Fragment: put a comma after Congress and finish the sentence." This is because the sentence is incomplete and lacks a main clause. Adding a comma after "Congress" and completing the sentence would make it grammatically correct.

6. If we're ever going to get out of here in time, we're going to have to re-write all these papers, set up the desks, and clean the chalkboards; stack those books in the corner and clean up the mess around the wastebasket; notify security about the broken window, the thermostat that Raoul messed up, and the desk that was stolen before we even got here.

There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

Run-on: the sentence should be broken into three smaller sentences.

Fragment: although the sentence is very long, it's missing a verb string.

Run-on: change those two semicolons to commas.

The given sentence is grammatically correct and does not contain any errors in its structure.

Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct and does not contain any errors in its structure.

7. Knowing better than anyone else how the state legislature had ignored the needs of the community college system and created a crisis characterized by an uneducated workforce that had no place to go for proper training and realizing that someone had to do something about the situation or the state would begin to lose jobs to states in the American south that were more aggressive in providing and publicizing excellence in education, Representative Fuentes began to lay plans for an education bill that took into consideration the needs of the state's community colleges and the students who attended them.

There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

This sentence is too long; it must be a run-on.

Even though this sentence is very long, it is actually a fragment.

The given sentence is structurally correct. It is a complex sentence that effectively conveys the context and background information about Representative Fuentes' motivation for planning an education bill. The sentence is not too long, nor is it a run-on or a fragment.

Explanation

The given sentence is structurally correct. It is a complex sentence that effectively conveys the context and background information about Representative Fuentes' motivation for planning an education bill. The sentence is not too long, nor is it a run-on or a fragment.

8. That she can make him do the excercises but not stick to the diet.

The part in blue is the independent clause.

This sentence has two independent clauses.

This sentence has no independent clause.

The given answer is correct because the sentence provided contains two independent clauses. An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence. In this case, the part "That she can make him do the exercises" and "but not stick to the diet" are both independent clauses as they can function as separate sentences. Therefore, the sentence has two independent clauses.

Explanation

The given answer is correct because the sentence provided contains two independent clauses. An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence. In this case, the part "That she can make him do the exercises" and "but not stick to the diet" are both independent clauses as they can function as separate sentences. Therefore, the sentence has two independent clauses.

9. The doctor told Charlie to lose weight and exercise vigorously for forty-five minutes a day.

This sentence has two independent clauses.

This sentence has no independent clauses.

This sentence has one independent clause.

The doctor told Charlie to lose weight" is an independent clause because it contains a subject ("The doctor") and a predicate ("told Charlie to lose weight") and can stand alone as a complete sentence.

"Exercise vigorously for forty-five minutes a day" is another independent clause because it also contains a subject ("Exercise") and a predicate ("vigorously for forty-five minutes a day") and can stand alone as a complete sentence.

Explanation

The doctor told Charlie to lose weight" is an independent clause because it contains a subject ("The doctor") and a predicate ("told Charlie to lose weight") and can stand alone as a complete sentence.

"Exercise vigorously for forty-five minutes a day" is another independent clause because it also contains a subject ("Exercise") and a predicate ("vigorously for forty-five minutes a day") and can stand alone as a complete sentence.