How to Use Conjunctions to Fix Run-on Sentences (Grade 5 Lesson)

📚 Understanding Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses. They help make your writing smoother and clearer. Using them correctly can turn a run-on sentence into something much easier to read!

🎯 Objectives

🎯
• Identify: Recognize conjunctions in sentences.
🤝
• Connect: Use conjunctions to combine simple sentences.
✂️
• Correct: Fix run-on sentences using conjunctions.

📝 Materials

📃
• Worksheet with example sentences
✏️
• Pencils
💡
• Whiteboard or projector

🚀 Warm-up (5 mins)

Activity: Quick review of simple sentences. Write a few simple sentences on the board and ask students to identify the subject and predicate.

🗣️
• Example 1: The dog barks.
🐈
• Example 2: The cat sleeps.
🐦
• Example 3: The bird sings.

✍️ Main Instruction

1. 🤝 Introduction to Conjunctions

   Explain that conjunctions are words that link ideas together. Focus on coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS):

   fanboys
   • For
   fanboys
   • And
   fanboys
   • Nor
   fanboys
   • But
   fanboys
   • Or
   fanboys
   • Yet
   fanboys
   • So

2. 🔗 Combining Sentences

   Show how to combine two simple sentences using a conjunction.

   ➕
   • Example: The dog barks, and the cat sleeps.
   💡
   • Explanation: Explain how "and" connects the two ideas.

3. ✂️ Fixing Run-on Sentences

   Explain that a run-on sentence is when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions.

   ⚠️
   • Example of a Run-on: The dog barks the cat sleeps.
   ✅
   • Corrected Sentence: The dog barks, but the cat sleeps.
   💡
   • Explanation: Show how "but" adds contrast and corrects the run-on.

4. 📝 Guided Practice

   Provide several run-on sentences and guide students in correcting them using conjunctions.

   ✍️
   • Run-on: I went to the store I bought milk.
   ✔️
   • Corrected: I went to the store, and I bought milk.
   ✍️
   • Run-on: She is tired she wants to sleep.
   ✔️
   • Corrected: She is tired, so she wants to sleep.

✍️ Practice Quiz

Correct each run-on sentence using a conjunction.

1. I like to read books I also enjoy writing stories.
2. The sun is shining it is a beautiful day.
3. He wanted to play outside it started to rain.
4. She went to the park she forgot her ball.
5. They studied hard they did well on the test.
6. We can go swimming we can go hiking.
7. The movie was long it was very interesting.

Answer Key:

1. I like to read books, and I also enjoy writing stories.
2. The sun is shining, so it is a beautiful day.
3. He wanted to play outside, but it started to rain.
4. She went to the park, but she forgot her ball.
5. They studied hard, so they did well on the test.
6. We can go swimming, or we can go hiking.
7. The movie was long, yet it was very interesting.

✅ Assessment

✏️
• Independent Practice: Give students a worksheet with more run-on sentences to correct on their own.
📝
• Review: Go over the answers as a class, discussing why each conjunction works.