• Teaching Tools
    • Teaching Tools
    • Classroom Management
    • Education Industry
    • Student Assessment Tools
    • Teaching Methods
  • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Infant Development
    • Parenting Tips and Advice
    • Preschool Crafts and Activities
    • Preschool Lesson Plans and Theme
    • Preschool Teaching Strategies
    • Toddler Activities and Ideas
  • Elementary School
    • Elementary School
    • Grade School Activities
    • Lesson Plans for Pre-K and K
    • Lesson Plans: Grades 1 - 2
    • Lesson Plans: Grades 3 - 5
    • Parenting Grade Schoolers
    • Teaching Younger Students
  • Middle School
    • Middle School
    • English Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • History Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Math Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Parenting Preteens and Tweens
    • Science Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Social Studies: Grades 6-8
    • Teaching Middle Schoolers
    • The Arts: Grades 6-8
  • More
    • High School(7)
    • Homework Help(20)
    • Special Ed(11)
    • More Areas(4)
More
High School (7)
Homework Help (20)
Special Ed (11)
More Areas (4)
English Lessons: Grades 9-12
High School Teaching Tips
History Lessons: Grades 9-12
Math Lessons: Grades 9-12
Parenting Teens
Science Lessons: Grades 9-12
The Arts: Grades 9-12
English Help
Geography Facts
Help with German
Help with Latin
Help with Writing
History Help
Language Learning Strategies
Learning Chinese
Learning French
Learning Italian
Learning Japanese
Learning Spanish
Literature Study Guides
Math Facts
Miscellaneous Languages
Science Homework Help
Science Projects
Social Studies Help
Study and Learning Tips
Test Preparation
Behavioral Disorders
Gifted and Exceptional St...
Hearing Impairments
IDEA, IEPs and The Law
Inclusion Strategies
Learning Disorders
Neurological Disorders
Physical Disabilities
Special Ed: Parent Perspe...
Speech Disorders
Visual Impairments
Homeschooling Advice
Summer Learning
Teaching a Second Language
Teaching ESL Learners
Bright Hub Education

Bright Hub Education

Elementary School
    Skip to content
    768

    Teach Students to Avoid Run-On Sentences in Elementary Language Arts: A Lesson Plan

    Lesson Plans & Worksheets for Grades 3 to 5 / By Keren Perles / Teaching Grades Pre-K to 5

    When Does It Run On (and On)?

    Write the following sentence on the board: Ava is very responsible she always keeps her word. Ask students to identify what is wrong with

    English Pin it! Share on Facebook

    this sentence. Encourage them to discuss the fact that the sentence is made of two independent clauses with nothing connecting them. Tell students that this is an example of a run-on sentence and is grammatically incorrect. Inform them that it is important to try and avoid these run-on sentences in their own writing, for it lowers the quality of their work.

    Three Methods of Correction

    Explain to students that there are three main ways to correct run-on sentences. Write the following methods on the board and explain them to students:

    1. Break the run-on sentence into two sentences.
    2. Add a conjunction (and possibly a comma or semicolon).
    3. Add a semicolon.

    Explain the first method by reminding students that a run-on sentence is really just two clauses (or groups of words that can stand alone as sentences) stuck together with nothing connecting them. Tell students that one of the simplest ways to correct a run-on sentence is to break it into two separate sentences. For example, in the sample above, you could simply break the run-on sentences into the following: Ava is very responsible. She always keeps her word.

    Then tell students that the second and third methods are essentially ways to add “glue" to stick the clauses together. In the second method, that glue is a conjunction. (Make sure you have gone through a lesson plan on conjunctions with students before this point.) So either of the following sentences would correct the sample above:

    • Ava is very responsible because she always keeps her word.
    • Ava always keeps her word, so she is very responsible.
    • Ava always keeps her word; therefore, she is very responsible.
    • Since Ava always keeps her word, she is very responsible.

    Explain that the third method uses a semicolon to “glue" the clauses together. For example, the sample above would be rewritten: Ava is very responsible; she always keeps her word. Remind students that there are rules that govern the use of the semicolon, and those rules must be followed correctly.

    Make sure students understand that you cannot fix a run-on sentence by simply adding a comma between the two clauses. This would create a comma splice, which is also grammatically incorrect.

    Practice

    Have students practice this concept by correcting the following sentences using various methods:

    • Ryan is cold he refuses to wear a coat.
    • Jessica loves birds she especially adores her pet parrot.
    • Never pull a dog’s tail it isn’t nice.
    • Take three apples you’ll be hungry if you take only two.
    • Yolanda pulled out of the parking lot the car had a flat tire.

    Now that you’ve used this grammar lesson plan to teach your students how to avoid run-on sentences, they will now have an easier time identifying and correcting these types of grammatical errors in their own writing in the future. Future editors, here they come!

    Post navigation

    ← Previous Post
    Next Post →
    Copyright © 2019 Bright Hub Education. All Rights Reserved.
    About | Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
     
    • Search Here:

       
    • Social

       
    •  
    •  
    • More Info

      Recent

      • Journal Writing in the Elementary Classroom
      • Free Primary Math Workbook for Spring Break
      • Science Worksheets for Spring Break – Primary Students
      • Grade Four Geometry Lesson Plan: Measuring and Classifying Shapes
      • Grade 3 Graphing Lesson Using Students’ Favorite Items
      • WebQuest Lesson Plan: Introduce Fourth Graders to the Grand Canyon
    •  
    • Popular Pages

      • Home
     

    2019. brighthubeducation.com. All rights reserved.
    • Privacy Policy