Correcting Sentence Fragments
What is a sentence fragment?
Correcting phrase fragments
Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
Using fragments for stylistic effect
Review A
Review B
What is a sentence fragment?
Not all “sentences” are created equal. Look at the
following two groups of words:
Fragment
The herd stampeded. Frightened
Frightened
Frightened by
by
bynoise.
noise.
noise.
They both begin with a capital.
They both end with a period.
BUT
The second does not express a complete thought.
It is a sentence fragment.
What is a sentence fragment?
A sentence fragment does not have all the basic
parts of a complete sentence.
Fragments do not express a
complete thought and are missing
important information.
EXAMPLES
Has horns shaped like corkscrews.
The kudu, a type of antelope, in Africa.
While it stands five feet high at the shoulder.
What is a sentence fragment?
To identify sentence fragments, use a simple test:
1. Does the group of
words have a subject?
2. Does it have a verb?
3. Does it express a
complete thought?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, you
have a fragment.
What is a sentence fragment?
Apply the test to the following group of words:
My brother
brother is
is coming
coming
coming home
home today.
today.
1. Does the group of
words have a subject?
YES
2. Does it have a verb?
YES
3. Does it express a
complete thought?
YES
Sentence
What is a sentence fragment?
Apply the test to the following group of words:
Whenever I see a rainbow.
Fragment
1. Does the group of
words have a subject?
YES
2. Does it have a verb?
YES
3. Does it express a
complete thought?
NO
What happens whenever
you see a rainbow?
What is a sentence fragment?
On Your Own
Determine whether each group of words is a fragment or a
complete sentence. If the item is a complete sentence, write C.
If a subject is missing, write S. If a verb is missing, write V. If
the item has a subject and a verb but expresses an incomplete
thought, write I.
___ 1. Nina Otero-Warren excelled as an educator, writer, and
public official.
___ 2. Was an important influence in her life.
___ 3. Descended from a long line of political leaders.
___ 4. She was one of the first Mexican-American women to
hold important public posts in New Mexico.
[End of Section]
Correcting phrase fragments
A phrase is a group of words that does not have
both a subject and a verb. By itself a phrase is a
fragment.
Imagine:
?
Your best friend walks in and says . . .
?
During third
period!
?
then leaves!
What did she mean,
“During third
period”?
A phrase does not make sense by itself.
Correcting phrase fragments
Four kinds of phrases are
often mistaken for sentences:
• Verbal phrases
Taking photographs.
• Appositive phrases
A well-known peak.
• Prepositional phrases
In a remote valley.
• Absolute phrases
The extra prints having
been made.
Correcting phrase fragments
There are two ways to fix a phrase fragment:
Strategy 1: Add words to form a
complete sentence.
• Verbal phrases
Taking
I
enjoyphotographs.
taking photographs.
• Appositive phrases
A well-known
The
Matterhorn,
peak.a well-known peak, awed me.
Correcting phrase fragments
Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete
sentence (continued).
• Prepositional phrases
This
In
a remote
picturevalley.
shows a village
in a remote valley.
• Absolute phrases
The extra prints having been
made. I framed a copy for
made,
each of my friends.
Correcting phrase fragments
Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence.
• Verbal phrases
I spent my vacation
vacation.taking
Takingphotographs.
photographs.
I hiked photographs,
Taking
up the trail. Taking
I hikedphotographs.
up the trail.
• Appositive phrases
That is the Matterhorn,
Matterhorn. a
A well-known peak.
The Matterhorn,
Matterhorn looms
a well-known
over thepeak,
village.
looms
A
well-known
over
the village.
peak.
Correcting phrase fragments
Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a
sentence (continued).
• Prepositional phrases
We visited a beautiful village
village.in
Inaaremote
remotevalley.
valley.
The village was situated between
in a remote
twovalley
mountains.
between
twoInmountains.
a remote valley.
• Absolute phrases
IThe
framed
extrathem
copies
ashaving
presents
been
formade,
my friends.
I framed
The
extra copies
them
as presents
having
forbeen
my friends.
made.
Correcting phrase fragments
On Your Own
Rewrite the following paragraph to correct phrase
fragments. Change capitalization and punctuation
wherever necessary.
Until the early part of the twentieth century. The
blacksmith’s shop was a familiar sight in the United
States. Shoeing horses and making metal wagon parts.
Also called a smithy. The blacksmith’s shop was often a
community meeting place.
[End of Section]
Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject
and a verb.
An independent clause (or main
clause) expresses a complete
thought and can stand by itself as
a sentence.
Subject
Verb
A barometer
barometermeasures
measures
measuresthe
thepressure
pressureofofthe
theatmosphere.
atmosphere.
Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
A subordinate clause (or dependent clause)
cannot stand by itself as a sentence.
A subordinate clause has a subject and a verb but
does not express a complete thought.
Subject
Verb
when the game
game finally
finally ended
ended
ended
Subject Verb
who scored
who
scored
scored the
thewinning
winning run
run
Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
Subordinate clause fragments suggest questions
that they do not answer.
To whom is this
When the game finally ended.
Who scored the winning run.
Although he is a sophomore.
statement
referring?
What
happened
when It
What
happened
would
be complete
if it
the
game
finally
although
he is a
ended
with a question
ended?
sophomore?
mark.
Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
There are two ways to fix a subordinate clause
fragment:
Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete
sentence.
Who
He
was
scored
the batter
the winning
who scored
run. the winning run.
Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence.
Although he is a sophomore.
sophomore, He
he is our best pitcher.
Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
On Your Own
Rewrite the following paragraph to correct subordinate
clause fragments. Change capitalization and
punctuation wherever necessary.
Sea urchins have long, movable spines. Which they
use to push themselves across the ocean floor. Sea
urchins can be eaten in sushi. After they have been
harvested and carefully prepared. They may look odd,
but they taste delicious!
[End of Section]
Using fragments for stylistic effect
By itself a sentence fragment does not express a
complete thought.
Slamming
The endlessdown
road. A
the
pitiless
hoodsun.
of the
Notcar,
a scrap
he of
turned
shade into
sight.
survey the landscape. The endless
road. A pitiless sun. Not a scrap of shade in sight.
However, an experienced writer may use a
fragment for effect if it is clearly related to a
nearby sentence.
[End of Section]
Review A
Identify each fragment as a phrase (P) or a subordinate
clause (S). Then, add words to make it a complete sentence.
___ 1.
Waving from the car window.
___ 2.
That we should practice more.
___ 3.
To prepare the garden.
___ 4.
In addition to swimming and soccer.
___ 5.
When we lived in Milwaukee.
[End of Section]
Review B
Revise the fragments in the following paragraph. Change
capitalization and punctuation wherever necessary.
Amy Tan is a Chinese American author. Who writes about
the lives of second-generation Chinese Americans. Writing
with both humor and insight. Tan accurately portrays family
relationships. After working as a freelance business writer.
Tan decided to try writing short stories. Once her first novel,
The Joy Luck Club, was published. She became an instant
celebrity.
[End of Section]
The End