Choose punctuation to avoid fragments and run-ons

Learning Objectives Identify a complete sentence. Identify a sentence fragment. Identify a run-on sentence. Use a period to end a sentence. Use a capital letter to start a new sentence. Fix a fragment by adding a missing part. Fix a run-on by adding periods and capital letters. Have you ever seen a train that is too short or way too long? 🚂 Sentences can be like that too! We will learn how to make our sentences just right. We will use special marks called punctuation. This makes our writing easy to read! 📖 Real-World Applications Writing a story about your favorite toy 🧸 Telling a friend about your day 🗣️ Writing a thank you card for a gift 💌 Reading a book and understanding the story 📚

TermDefinitionExample Sentence ✅A sentence is a complete thought. It tells a who or what, and what they do.The cat sleeps on the mat. 🐈 Fragment 🧩A fragment is a piece of a sentence. It is an incomplete thought.The big, yellow bus. Run-on 🏃A run-on is too many sentences stuck together. It does not have a stop.I have a dog he likes to play we play fetch. Period (.)A period is a punctuation mark. It is a stop sign for a sentence.My apple is red. Capital Letter (A, B, C)A capital letter is a big letter. It is a green light to start a new sentence.She has a new bike.

The Stop Sign Rule 🛑 Complete Sentence + Period (.) Every complete sentence needs a stop sign at the end. A period tells the reader to stop. The Green Light Rule 🚦 Period (.) + Capital Letter After you use a period, the very next word must start with a capital letter. It starts a new idea. The One Idea Rule 💡 One main idea per sentence. A sentence should be about one main thing. Don't squish too many ideas together.