Is it a complete sentence or a run-on?

Key Notes:

🌟 Is it a Complete Sentence or a Run-on? 🌟

✨ What is a Complete Sentence?

A complete sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.

It must have:

  • 👉 A subject (who or what the sentence is about)
  • 👉 A predicate (what the subject does or is)
  • 👉 A complete idea

💡 Example:

  • ✅ The dog barked loudly. 🐶
  • ✅ She loves reading books. 📚
⚠️ What is a Run-on Sentence?

A run-on sentence happens when two or more sentences are joined incorrectly.
They make the writing confusing and hard to read.

💡 Examples:

  • ❌ I like pizza I eat it every day. 🍕
  • ❌ He went to school he forgot his bag. 🎒
🌈 How to Fix Run-on Sentences?

We can fix them in three ways:

1. Use a period (.)

  • ❌ I love cats I have two.
  • ✅ I love cats. I have two. 🐱

2. Use a comma + conjunction (and, but, so, or, because)

  • ❌ She was tired she went to bed.
  • ✅ She was tired, so she went to bed. 😴

3. Use a semicolon (;)

  • ❌ It was raining we stayed inside.
  • ✅ It was raining; we stayed inside. 🌧️
🎯 Quick Tips to Remember
  • ✨ Every sentence must have ONE complete thought.
  • ✨ If you feel like you’re saying too much without a pause, it’s probably a run-on.
  • ✨ Use punctuation wisely (., , + conjunction, 😉 to separate ideas.
🌟 Practice Time! 🌟

👉 Decide if these are Complete Sentences (C) or Run-ons (R):

  1. The cat chased the mouse 🐭
  2. I like ice cream it is my favorite dessert 🍦
  3. We played football after school 🏈
  4. She sang beautifully she won the contest 🎤

(Answers: 1-C, 2-R, 3-C, 4-R)

💡 Remember: A strong writer uses clear, complete sentences—not run-ons! 🏆✍️

Learn with an example

1) Which is a complete sentence?

  • Lauren rows the boat first then it’s my turn.
  • My cats like that long white string.

My cats like that long white string is a complete sentence. The subject is my cats, and the verb is like.

2) Which is a run-on sentence?

  • The women ran up and down the hill.
  • We swim in the pool the water is cold.

We swim in the pool the water is cold is a run-on sentence. It has two sentences that should stand alone: We swim in the pool and The water is cold.

3) Which is a complete sentence?

  • Matthew works for the newspaper he writes about sports.
  • You will get a good education at this school.

You will get a good education at this school is a complete sentence. The subject is you, and the verb is will get.

Let’s try some problems! ✍️