Solving Sentence Fragment Problems
Solving Sentence Fragment Problems
Every complete sentence has two characteristics. It contains a subject and a verb and it expresses a complete thought. Any group of words that is punctuated as a sentence but lacks one of these characteristics is a sentence fragment. We speak in sentence fragments all the time, and in some types of writing, but they are unacceptable in formal writing.
There are two types of sentence fragments you need to be aware of. They are the “missing piece” fragment and the dependent clause fragment.
“Missing Piece” Fragments
These types of sentences are missing either a subject or a verb. Here are some examples:
1. Found it under the pile of clothes on your floor.
Who or what found it? The sentence doesn’t tell you. The subject is missing.
To fix it, add a subject. Your sister found it under the pile of clothes on your floor.
2. Their arguments about housework.
The sentence doesn’t tell you what the arguments were or did. The verb is missing.
To fix it, add a verb. Their arguments were about housework. Or, Their arguments about housework eventually destroyed their relationship.
3. During my favourite TV show.
Who or what was or did something? Both subject and verb are missing.
To fix it, add a subject and a verb. My mother always phones during my favourite TV show.
4. The programmers working around the clock to trace the hacker.
Part of the verb is missing. Remember that a verb ending in –ing needs a helping verb to be complete.
To fix it, add a helping verb. The programmers have been working around the clock to trace the hacker.
Hint: Don’t let the length of a sentence confuse you. Some sentences can be very long and still lack a subject and/or a verb.
Exercise A:
Decide whether each group of words is a sentence fragment or a complete sentence. If it’s a fragment, write “F” next to it and rewrite it to make a complete sentence. If it’s a complete sentence, write “S” next to it.
1. _____ About historical events.
2. _____ To decide on the basis of rumours, not facts.
3. _____ Trying to be helpful, I offered to check the files.
4. _____ Cooking my famous tuna casserole.
5. _____ The party members gathering in the campaign office.
6. _____ We won.
7. _____ Hands over your head.
8. _____ To go anywhere without my Iphone.
9. _____ Having worked hard all her life.
10. _____ Wanting to please them, she had coffee ready on their arrival.
Exercise B:
Write “S” or “F” before each of the following sentences. If the sentence is a fragment, rewrite it to create a complete sentence.
_____ Professional athletes making millions of dollars a year. _____ At the same time, owners of sports franchises growing rich from the efforts of their employees, the players. ____The fans being the forgotten people in the struggle for control over major league sports. ___The people who pay the money that makes both owners and players rich. _______ I have an idea that would protect everyone’s interests. ______Cap the owners’ profits. _____ Cap the players’ salaries. _____And, most important, the ticket prices. ______A fair deal for everyone. _____Fans should be able to see their teams play for the price of a movie ticket, not the price of a television set.
Dependent Clause Fragments
Any group of words containing a subject and a verb is a clause. There are two kinds of clauses. An independent clause is one that makes a complete sentence on its own. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence; it depends on another clause to make complete sense. Dependent clauses begin with dependent-clause clues.
For example:
After
Although
As, as if
As long as
As soon as
Because
Before
Even if, even though
If
In order that
Provided that
Since
So that
That
Though
Unless
Until
What, whatever
When, whenever
Where, wherever, whereas
Whether
Which, whichever
While
Who, whom, whose
A dependent clause must be attached to an independent clause. If it stands alone, it is a sentence fragment.
Here is an independent clause: I am a poor speller.
If we put one of the dependent-clause cues in front of it, it can no longer stand alone:
Because I am a poor speller.
We can correct this kind of fragment by attaching it to an independent clause:
Because I am a poor speller, I always use spell check.
Exercise C:
Put an “S” before each sentence that is independent and therefore a sentence. Put an “F” before each sentence that is dependent and therefore a sentence fragment. Circle the dependent clause cue in each sentence fragment.
1. ____Although she practiced it constantly.
2. ____Since the horse stepped on her.
3. ____As soon as the troops arrived, the fighting stopped.
4. ____Whichever route the bikers choose.
5. ____Before Biff bought his bike.
Exercise D:
Make each sentence fragment into a complete sentence.
1. I had never eaten curry. But the first time a tasted it. I decided I liked it.
2. In France, they say that an explosion in the kitchen could have disastrous results. Such as linoleum blown apart.
3. Our family thinks my sister is too young to get married. Since she and her boyfriend want to be registered at Toys “R” Us.
4. I decided to take swimming lessons for two reasons. The first is fitness. The second, water safety.
5. There is good news. The man who was caught under the bus has fully recovered.
6. After working for three nights in a row trying to make my essay perfect so that I would get a good mark in my course. I lost my entire project when my brother crashed the computer while playing Call of Duty.
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