Your Turn

Cartoon of a boy in cap and gown holding up a diploma.

Source: School Graduation,
Phillip Martin

Copy and paste the following paragraph into your notes and read it carefully. If a sentence is a fragment, highlight it in yellow; if it is a run-on, highlight it in purple; and if it is a correct sentence, do nothing to it. When you are finished, check your understanding.

I have never known anyone who was a better worker than Paula. Who always did her homework in half the time I took. Concentration was the secret of her success, she undoubtedly had a keen mind. I asked Paula to help me with my math once when I was particularly desperate. She could do the problems easily, and she could explain them to me. So that I could understand them. Mr. Jones, who was my math teacher, was very surprised when I knew how to do the problems. Without asking any questions. He was proud of me, I was proud of myself. Proved to be a turning point in my math education. From then until the time I graduated, I never made a math grade lower than a B. Paula never knew it her helping me with my homework eventually led to my career in engineering. I am successful today, someone took the time to help me when I needed it. I will never forget the smart girl who changed my life. Paula, the hard worker.


Check Your Understanding

I have never known anyone who was a better worker than Paula. Who always did her homework in half the time I took (1). Concentration was the secret of her success, she undoubtedly had a keen mind (2). I asked Paula to help me with my math once when I was particularly desperate. She could do the problems easily, and she could explain them to me. So that I could understand them (3). Mr. Jones, who was my math teacher, was very surprised when I knew how to do the problems. Without asking any questions (4). He was proud of me, I was proud of myself (5). Proved to be a turning point in my math education (6). From then until the time I graduated, I never made a math grade lower than a B. Paula never knew it her helping me with my homework eventually led to my career in engineering (7). I am successful today, someone took the time to help me when I needed it (8). I will never forget the smart girl who changed my life. Paula, the hard worker (9).

  1. Fragment; subordinate clause beginning with relative pronoun “who”
  2. Run-on; two independent clauses joined by a comma (comma splice)
  3. Fragment; subordinate clause begins with subordinating conjunction “so that”
  4. Fragment; phrase
  5. Run-on; two independent clauses joined by a comma (comma splice)
  6. Fragment; phrase
  7. Run-on; two independent clauses run together
  8. Run-on; two independent clauses joined by a comma (comma splice)
  9. Fragment; phrase

 

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