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Verbal Ability lesson

Complete Sentences: Fragments, Run-ons and Comma Splices

Know what makes a sentence complete, spot fragments, run-ons and comma splices, name sentence structures, and rebuild jumbled sentences.

30 min read · Professional and Sub-Professional

What it is

A sentence is a group of words with a subject, a finite verb and a complete thought. When one of these is missing, you get a fragment. When two complete sentences are pushed together without proper punctuation, you get a run-on or a comma splice.

This lesson teaches the parts of a sentence, the four kinds of sentences by purpose, clauses, the four sentence structures, how to fix broken sentences, and how to put jumbled words in standard order.

Why it matters on the exam

Sentence-correction items often hide a fragment or a comma splice, and some items ask you to name a structure or rebuild a scrambled sentence. Finding the subject and verb is also the first step in subject–verb agreement and pronoun items.

At work, complete sentences make memos and reports easy to follow; run-ons and fragments make them look careless.

Rule 1 of 8Subject, predicate and a complete thought
A sentence needs three things: a subject (who or what the sentence is about), a predicate (the verb and everything it says about the subject), and a complete thought. The simple subject is the key noun or pronoun; the simple predicate is the finite verb.
Worked example 1 of 4Which is a complete sentence?
Which of the following is a complete sentence?
  1. After the meeting ended at noon.
  2. The forms that the clerk printed this morning.
  3. Please wait outside.
  4. Hoping for an early release of the results.
  5. Since nobody answered the phone.
Step 1 · Check each for a subject and finite verb"Hoping for an early release" has only an -ing form and no subject. "The forms that the clerk printed" has a subject (forms) but its only verb belongs to the that-clause.
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In the full lesson

  • How to recognize it on the test
  • What to look for (5 checks)
  • All 8 rules and tools
  • 4 worked examples, every step explained
  • 6 common mistakes and how to fix them
  • 4 exam techniques
  • Remember: 6 key points
  • Practice questions with explanations, and your progress saved
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More Verbal Ability lessons

ReviewTayo has 47 lessons that follow the official scope of the exam, each with rules, worked examples, common mistakes and practice. Open one and read the first part.

Subject–Verb Agreement: Finding the True Subject25 min · previewVerb Tenses and Verb Forms35 min · previewPronouns: Case, Who/Whom and Agreement30 min · previewParallel Structure, Modifiers and Comparisons35 min · previewArticles, Prepositions, Conjunctions and Commonly Confused Words35 min · previewThe Error-Identification and Sentence-Correction Method30 min · previewVocabulary: Context Clues, Word Parts, Synonyms and Antonyms30 min · previewParagraph Organization and Reading Comprehension35 min · previewGramatika sa Filipino: ng/nang, rin/din, Pokus at Iba Pa36 min · previewParts of Speech and Nouns30 min · previewPunctuation and Capitalization30 min · preview
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