Sentence Fragments

Sentence Fragments

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence.

Some fragments are incomplete because they lack either a subject or a verb, or both.

The fragments that most students have trouble with, however, are dependent clauses—they have a subject and a verb, so they look like complete sentences, but they don’t express a complete thought.

They’re called “dependent” because they can’t stand on their own (just like some people you might know who are SO dependent!).

Multiple Select

A dependent clause

• can't stand on its own

• is not a complete thought

• is not a complete sentence

• never has a verb

• never has a subject

Look at these dependent clauses. They’re just begging for more information to make the thoughts complete:

• Because their car was in the shop

• After the rain stops

• Since you asked

• If you want to go with me

Multiple Select

Which option(s) make this a complete sentence?

Because their car was in the shop,

• they had to take the bus.

• it broke a

• the ice cream.

• they had to walk home.

• the bus was.

Multiple Select

Which option(s) make this a complete sentence?

After the rain stops,

• we can.

• it will.

• we can go outside to play ball.

• come over to my house.

• at the park.

Multiple Select

Which option(s) make this a complete sentence? Since you asked,

• I will tell you the answer.

• he will say yes.

• the dog.

• ever will

• ice cream is.

Multiple Select

Which option(s) make this a complete sentence?

If you want to go with me,

• you have to do your chores first.

• never say.

• to the park.

• you will have to ask your mom if you can.

• just say so.

Because their car was in the shop... After the rain stops... Since you asked... If you want to go with me... When you finally take the test...

Does each of these examples have a subject? Yes. Does each have a verb? Yes. So what makes the thought incomplete?

It’s the first word (Because, After, When, Since, If). These words belong to a special class of words called subordinators or subordinating conjunctions.

If you know something about subordinating conjunctions, you can probably eliminate 90% of your fragments.

First, you need to know that subordinating conjunctions do three things:

• join two sentences together

• make one of the sentences dependent on the other for a complete thought (make one a dependent clause)

• indicate a logical relationship

Second, you must recognize the common subordinating conjunctions and the relationships they indicate

• Cause / Effect: because, since, so that

• Comparison / Contrast: although, even though, though, whereas, while

• Place & Manner: how, however, where, wherever

• Possibility / Conditions: if, whether, unless

• Relation: that, which, who

• Time: after, as, before, since, when, whenever, while, until

Third, you must know that the subordinator (and the whole dependent clause) doesn’t have to be at the beginning of the sentence. The dependent clause and the independent clause can switch places, but the whole clause moves as one big chunk.

Look at how these clauses switched places in each sentence:

• Because their car was in the shop, they took the bus.

• They took the bus because their car was in the shop.

Finally, you need to know that every dependent clause needs to be attached to an independent clause (remember, the independent clause can stand on its own).

How do you find and fix your fragments? Remember the basics: subject, verb, and complete thought. If you can recognize those things, you’re halfway there.

Then, scan your sentences for subordinating conjunctions. If you find one, first identify the whole chunk of the dependent clause (the subject and verb that go with the subordinator), and then make sure they’re attached to an independent clause.

Look at the examples:

• They took the bus. (Independent clause-Okay! It's a complete sentence because it has a subject and a verb and is a complete thought.)

• Because their car was in the shop. (Dependent clause alone-Fragment!)

• They took the bus because their car was in the shop. (Independent clause+dependent clause=complete sentence.)