1. What they are How to fix them
Fragments
What they are
How to fix them

2. What is a fragment? Incomplete thought Missing something A subject
A verb
Fragments are fine for notes and lists – even outlines!
What is a fragment?

3. Subordinate Clause Fragments
Begin with words like:
After Since Whereas
Although So Wherever
As So that Whether
Because That Which
Before Than Whichever
Even if Though While
Even though Unless Who
If Until Whoever
In order that When Whom
Once Whenever Whomever
Provided that Where Whose

4. Identify and Fix When schools change their policies.
What happens? We don’t know because the thought is incomplete!
When schools change their policies, there is often resistance among the students and staff.
Be a detective! Be nosy!
Identify and Fix

5. -ing and –ed (or other past tense word) Fragments
-ing Words
-ed (or other past tense) Words
Hidden
Locked
Baked
Frozen
Running
Walking
Skipping
Watching

6. Identify and Fix Walking to class.
What happened? We don’t know because the thought is incomplete!
Walking to class, I ran into an old friend.
(I ran into an old friend. Walking to class.)
Hidden in the grass.
What was hidden in the grass? What happened? Again, we don’t know!
Hidden in the grass, the egg went undiscovered.
Identify and Fix

7. To + Verb Fragments
To go
To overcome
To inspire
To run

8. Identify and Fix To inspire others to do their best.
Missing information!
Celebrities sometimes use their status to inspire others to do their best.
To inspire others to do their best, individuals themselves must do their best.
Identify and Fix

9. Afterthought Fragments
Especially
Except
Excluding
For example
For instance
Including
Like
Such as

10. Identify and Fix Including salsa and ketchup.
I enjoy tomato-based sauces, including salsa and ketchup.
*****
Especially in the morning.
I am grouchy, especially in the morning.
Identify and Fix

11. Conjunction Fragments
And So
But
For Or
Nor
Yet
Conjunction Fragments

12. Identify and Fix NEVER start a sentence with a conjunction
Join it to the sentence before
Drop the conjunction
Identify and Fix

13. Conjunction Fragments
We enjoyed the afternoon by sitting in the air conditioned apartment watching movies. And that evening, when it was cooler, we went for a walk.
We enjoyed the afternoon by sitting in the air conditioned apartment watching movies, and that evening, when it was cooler, we went for a walk.
We enjoyed the afternoon by sitting in the air conditioned apartment watching movies. That evening, when it was cooler, we went for a walk.
We enjoyed the afternoon by sitting in the air conditioned apartment watching movies; that evening, when it was cooler, we went for a walk.
Conjunction Fragments