Sentence Fragments

Every sentence must have a subject and a verb to express a complete thought A group of words
that lacks a subject or verb and does not express a complete thought is a sentence fragment

1 Lack of a subject
A subject is like a person’s head you cannot go without it Lack of a subject is one of the most
common errors in writing Two solutions are possible
1) adding a subject to the fragment to make it a complete sentence
2) combining the fragment with another sentence if the two share a subject

 I looked for a place to turn around But found only a narrow road
 I looked for a place to turn around But I found only a narrow road
 I looked for a place to turn around but found only a narrow road

2 Lack of a complete verb
A predicate verb is also necessary to a sentence The error of lacking a complete verb can be
corrected by
1) adding a complete verb or a helper verb to make the sentence complete
2) combining the fragment with another sentence

 I was fully awake now I wondering what had happened to me
 I was fully awake now I wondered what had happened to me
 I was fully awake now wondering what had happened to me
 Fully awake now I wondered what had happened to me

3 Lack of both a subject and a verb
A group of words without a subject or a verb is only a phrase and therefore a fragment The
error can be corrected by combining it with another sentence

 The Titanic was completed in 1912 The most luxurious ship of its day
 The Titanic the most luxurious ship of its day was completed in 1912
 Completed in 1912 the Titanic was the most luxurious ship of its day

4 Lack of a main clause
A main clause — sometimes called an independent clause —can stand by itself and still make
sense Every sentence must have at least one main clause it is the essential component Without a
main clause a group of words is a fragment Two solutions are available
1) combining the fragment that is a subordinate clause with a main clause
2) rewriting the fragment as a complete sentence eliminating the subordinating conjunction or the relative pronoun and adding words necessary to make a complete thought

 Grandparents always held a special place in caring for the little ones Because they had more
time to devote to them
 Grandparents always held a special place in caring for the little ones because they had more
time to devote to them
 Grandparents always held a special place in caring for the little ones They had more time to
devote to them



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