Fragments

1
Fragments

• What is a sentence fragment?
• An incomplete sentence
• REMEMBER
• A sentence has a subject, verb and a complete
  thought a fragment is missing one or more of
  these things.

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2
What causes us to create fragments? 1 of 2

• Dependent clauses primarily when we
• read an independent clause followed by
• dependent clause, it sounds like a complete
  thought.
• Poor You wont pass the exam. Unless
• you study.

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What causes us to create fragments? 2 of 2

• You must be able to say each sentence by itself
  and it must make perfect sense. The most common
  way to correct fragments is to attach the
  dependent clause to the independent clause. If
  the dependent clause comes first, youll need a
  comma.
• Better Unless you study, you wont pass the
  exam.
• OR You wont pass the exam
  unless you
• study.

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A second cause for fragments 1 of 3

• Verbal phrases to, ing, or ed/en fragments
• Primarily when we read an independent clause
  followed by a verbal phrase, it sounds like a
  complete thought.
• Poor Eric was often seen at the beach.
• Surfing the big waves.

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A second cause for fragments 2 of 3

• The easiest way to correct this fragment
• is to attach it to the independent clause.
• Better Eric was often seen at the beach,
• surfing the big waves.

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A second cause for fragments 3 of 3

• However, you could also correct it by adding a
  subject /verb to the sentence.
• Better Eric was often seen at the
• beach. He loved surfing the big
• waves.

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Special note on to/ed/en/ing fragments 1 of 2

• to ed -en fragments attached at the
  beginning of a sentence require a comma, but they
  dont need one if attached at the end.
• ing fragments must always have a comma whether
  they come at the beginning or end!

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Special note on to/ed/en/ing fragments 2 of 2

• Good To order the text, a student should
• use the website.
• Or A student should use the website
• to order the text.
• Good Encouraged by the laughter of
  schoolmates, Tommy joined the game.
• Or Tommy enjoyed the game encouraged
  by the laugter of schoolmates.
• Good Laughing at his friend, Tom
• snorted his milk.
• Or Tom snorted his milk, laughing
• at his friend.

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Another cause for fragments

• Missing subject fragments are missing
• a subject. They can be corrected by adding a
  subject or connecting to an independent clause.
• Poor Mary hated the ocean. But liked to swim
  in the pool.
• Better Mary hated the ocean, but she liked to
  swim in the pool. OR Mary hated the ocean but
  liked to swim in the pool.
• OR Mary hated the ocean. She liked to swim in
  a pool.

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Yet another cause for fragments 1 of 2

• Example Exception fragments
• such as, including, for example unless,
  without
• Poor Thom and Jerry enjoy many sports.
• Such as hiking, biking, and rock
• climbing.
• Remember, you must be able to say each sentence
  by itself, and it
• must make perfect sense. If it is missing
  something, you must
• add what is missing subject/verb

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Yet another cause for fragments 2 of 2

• Add the missing subject and verb
• Better Thom and Jerry enjoy many sports.
• They like hiking, biking and
  rock
• climbing.
• OR You can connect the dependent
  clause to an
• independent clause.
• Better Thom and Jerry enjoy many sports, such
  as
• hiking, biking, and rock
  climbing.

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Still more causes for fragments 1 0f 2

• Prepositional Phrase Frags Remember
• Prepositions often show place what a marble
  can do to a mountain go over, under, through
  etc...
• The most common way to correct this is to attach
  the prepositional phrase to the independent
  clause.

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Still more causes for fragments 2 0f 2

• If the prepositional phrase comes first, youll
• need a comma.
• Poor Under the bush. A small dog was
• hiding.
• Better Under the bush, a small dog was
• hiding.
• OR A small dog was hiding under
• the bush.