Complete Sentences and
Sentence Fragments
MRS. DAVIDOVICZ’S CLASS 2012 – 2013
ELACC3L1. DEMONSTRATE COMMAND OF
THE CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH
GRAMMAR AND USAGE WHEN WRITING OR
SPEAKING.
F. ENSURE SUBJECT-VERB AND PRONOUNANTECEDENT AGREEMENT.*
Essential Question
 Write this question down in your ELA interactive notebook.
 Why is it important to recognize the
difference between a complete
sentence and a sentence fragment
(incomplete sentence)?
A Complete Sentence
 A complete sentence is a sentence that tells a
complete thought. It tells who or what, and it tells
what happens.
 A complete sentence has a “who” and a “do.”
 For example:
 Chris
plays the guitar every day.
 The boys left their coats on the playground.
A Sentence Fragment (Incomplete Sentence)
 A fragment does NOT tell a complete thought. It is
either missing the “who” or the “do.”
 For example:




Told her brother to clean up his room. (Missing a “who”)
The girl who danced like a swan. (Missing a “do”)
Swimming in the ocean. (Missing a “who”)
Janice, who lives down the street from me. (Missing a “do”)
Let’s try it together…
 Are these sentences complete sentences or sentence fragments?
 Marty loves to play golf!
 A complete sentence
 Because Marty likes to play golf.
 An incomplete sentence (fragment)
 Throwing snowballs at the cars passing by.
 An incomplete sentence (fragment)
Here’s a few more…
 Because she doesn’t like peas, she didn’t eat her
dinner.
 A complete sentence
 I do not like it!
 A complete sentence
 Mom and dad.
 An incomplete sentence
Now YOU try some on your own…
 In just a minute, you will receive some strips of paper.
Each strip will have a set of words on it. You need to
decide if the words make up a complete sentence or a
sentence fragment (incomplete sentence).
 Cut out the strips of paper and put them in the correct
pocket.
 If you finish before I call time, take them out and try it
again. Or, you may try writing your own complete and
incomplete sentences on the backside of your paper.
(Lesson One)
Here are some more examples…
(lesson three)
 Charles and Terrance ran as fast as they could to
their grandmother’s house.
 A complete sentence
 After the movie, Marquis .
 A sentence fragment
 Baked some cookies for her neighbor who was in the
hospital.
 A sentence fragment
Just a few more…
 I did it!
 A complete sentence
 She went home.
 A complete sentence
 The girls who want to play football.
 An incomplete sentence
(lesson three)