1. Correcting Sentence Fragments
What is a sentence fragment?
Correcting phrase fragments
Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
Using fragments for stylistic effect
Review A
Review B

2. What is a sentence fragment?
Not all “sentences” are created equal. Look at the following two groups of words:
Fragment
The herd stampeded. Frightened by noise.
The herd stampeded. Frightened by noise.
The herd stampeded. Frightened by noise.
The herd stampeded. Frightened by noise.
They both begin with a capital.
They both end with a period.
BUT
The second does not express a complete thought. It is a sentence fragment.

3. What is a sentence fragment?
A sentence fragment does not have all the basic parts of a complete sentence.
Fragments do not express a complete thought and are missing important information.
No subject
EXAMPLES
Has horns shaped like corkscrews.
No verb
The kudu, a type of antelope, in Africa.
Not a complete thought
While it stands five feet high at the shoulder.

4. What is a sentence fragment?
To identify sentence fragments, use a simple test:
1. Does the group of words have a subject?
2. Does it have a verb?
3. Does it express a complete thought?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, you have a fragment.

5. What is a sentence fragment?
Apply the test to the following group of words:
My brother is coming home today.
My brother is coming home today.
My brother is coming home today.
My brother is coming home today.
Sentence
1. Does the group of words have a subject?
YES
2. Does it have a verb?
YES
3. Does it express a complete thought?
YES

6. What is a sentence fragment?
Apply the test to the following group of words:
Whenever I see a rainbow.
Whenever I see a rainbow.
Whenever I see a rainbow.
Whenever I see a rainbow.
Fragment
1. Does the group of words have a subject?
YES
2. Does it have a verb?
YES NO
3. Does it express a complete thought?
What happens whenever you see a rainbow?

7. What is a sentence fragment?
On Your Own
Determine whether each group of words is a fragment or a complete sentence. If the item is a complete sentence, write C. If a subject is missing, write S. If a verb is missing, write V. If the item has a subject and a verb but expresses an incomplete thought, write I.
___ 1. Nina Otero-Warren excelled as an educator, writer, and public official.
___ 2. Was an important influence in her life.
___ 3. Descended from a long line of political leaders.
___ 4. She was one of the first Mexican-American women to hold important public posts in New Mexico.
[End of Section]

8. Correcting phrase fragments
A phrase is a group of words that does not have both a subject and a verb. By itself a phrase is a fragment.
Imagine:
Your best friend walks in and says . . . ?
then leaves!
During third period! ? ?
What did she mean, “During third period”?
A phrase does not make sense by itself.

9. Correcting phrase fragments
Four kinds of phrases are often mistaken for sentences:
Verbal phrases
Taking photographs.
Appositive phrases
A well-known peak.
Prepositional phrases
In a remote valley.
Absolute phrases
The extra prints having been made.

10. Correcting phrase fragments
There are two ways to fix a phrase fragment:
Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete sentence.
Verbal phrases
I enjoy taking photographs.
Taking photographs.
Appositive phrases
A well-known peak.
The Matterhorn, a well-known peak, awed me.

11. Correcting phrase fragments
Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete sentence (continued).
Prepositional phrases
This picture shows a village in a remote valley.
In a remote valley.
Absolute phrases
The extra prints having been made, I framed a copy for each of my friends.
The extra prints having been made.

12. Correcting phrase fragments
Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence.
Verbal phrases
I spent my vacation taking photographs.
I spent my vacation. Taking photographs.
Taking photographs, I hiked up the trail.
I hiked up the trail. Taking photographs.
Appositive phrases
That is the Matterhorn. A well-known peak.
That is the Matterhorn, a well-known peak.
The Matterhorn, a well-known peak, looms over the village.
The Matterhorn looms over the village. A well-known peak.

13. Correcting phrase fragments
Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence (continued).
Prepositional phrases
We visited a beautiful village in a remote valley.
We visited a beautiful village. In a remote valley.
The village was situated in a remote valley between two mountains.
The village was situated between two mountains. In a remote valley.
Absolute phrases
The extra copies having been made, I framed them as presents for my friends.
I framed them as presents for my friends. The extra copies having been made.

14. Correcting phrase fragments
On Your Own
Rewrite the following paragraph to correct phrase fragments. Change capitalization and punctuation wherever necessary.
Until the early part of the twentieth century. The blacksmith’s shop was a familiar sight in the United States. Shoeing horses and making metal wagon parts. Also called a smithy. The blacksmith’s shop was often a community meeting place.
[End of Section]

15. Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.
An independent clause (or main clause) expresses a complete thought and can stand by itself as a sentence.
Subject
Verb
A barometer measures the pressure of the atmosphere.
A barometer measures the pressure of the atmosphere.
A barometer measures the pressure of the atmosphere.

16. Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
A subordinate clause (or dependent clause) cannot stand by itself as a sentence.
A subordinate clause has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.
Subject
Verb
when the game finally ended
when the game finally ended
when the game finally ended
Subject
Verb
who scored the winning run
who scored the winning run
who scored the winning run

17. Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
Subordinate clause fragments suggest questions that they do not answer.
To whom is this statement referring? It would be complete if it ended with a question mark.
What happened when the game finally ended?
What happened although he is a sophomore?
When the game finally ended.
Who scored the winning run.
Although he is a sophomore.

18. Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
There are two ways to fix a subordinate clause fragment:
Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete sentence.
Who scored the winning run.
He was the batter who scored the winning run.
Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence.
Although he is a sophomore. He is our best pitcher.
Although he is a sophomore, he is our best pitcher.

19. Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
On Your Own
Rewrite the following paragraph to correct subordinate clause fragments. Change capitalization and punctuation wherever necessary.
Sea urchins have long, movable spines. Which they use to push themselves across the ocean floor. Sea urchins can be eaten in sushi. After they have been harvested and carefully prepared. They may look odd, but they taste delicious!
[End of Section]

20. Using fragments for stylistic effect
By itself a sentence fragment does not express a complete thought.
Slamming down the hood of the car, he turned to survey the landscape. The endless road. A pitiless sun. Not a scrap of shade in sight.
The endless road. A pitiless sun. Not a scrap of shade in sight.
However, an experienced writer may use a fragment for effect if it is clearly related to a nearby sentence.
[End of Section]

21. Review A
Identify each fragment as a phrase (P) or a subordinate clause (S). Then, add words to make it a complete sentence.
___ 1. Waving from the car window.
___ 2. That we should practice more.
___ 3. To prepare the garden.
___ 4. In addition to swimming and soccer.
___ 5. When we lived in Milwaukee.
[End of Section]

22. Review B
Revise the fragments in the following paragraph. Change capitalization and punctuation wherever necessary.
Amy Tan is a Chinese-American author. Who writes about the lives of second-generation Chinese Americans. Writing with both humor and insight. Tan accurately portrays family relationships. After working as a freelance business writer. Tan decided to try writing short stories. Once her first novel, The Joy Luck Club, was published. She became an instant celebrity.
[End of Section]

23. The End