Journal Topic

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

Benjamin Franklin

FragmentsHave something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret. - Matthew Arnold

Do you remember what a complete sentence needs to be complete?

Complete sentences

Complete sentences require: A subject A verb A complete thought Punctuation

Complete Sentences?

Because I could not sleep.Calling his dog’s name.Except meat, vegetables, and fruit.

Then began to type quickly.

What is a fragment?

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence.

It is missing one of the three things that complete sentences need.

They are to be avoided in academic writing.

Sentence Fragments

When you edit a piece of writing and you see a sentence fragment, you can use one of these methods to correct it.

The method that you choose will depend on the situation and on what you think will most improve the piece of writing.

Method 1

If a fragment is missing a subject, add a subject.

Fragment: Went to the interview with her resume.

Correct: Lia went to the interview with her resume.

Method 2

If a fragment is missing a complete verb, make the verb complete.

Fragment: Dr. Parks asking about her last job.

Correct: Dr. Parks was asking about her last job.

Method 3

Add or change words to make an incomplete thought complete.

Fragment: Not a bad job, only boring. Correct: Her last job was not bad, only

boring.

Method 4

Attach the fragment to a complete sentence. This is a good method to use when a fragment has a subject and verb but still does not express a complete thought.

Fragment: Lia took the job. Because she wanted a challenge.

Correct: Lia took the job because she wanted a challenge.

Correct: Because she wanted a challenge, Lia took the job.

Dependent Word Fragments

If a sentence starts with a dependent word, it uses a comma.

A comma is not needed if the dependent word comes in the middle of the sentence.

Dependent words: after, although, as, because, before, even

if, even though, if, since, that, though, unless, until, what, when, whenever, where, wherever, whether, which, while, who.

Practice

Because the movie was so violent.

Before Martha stormed into the room.

After he bought some donuts.

Ticking loudly. The clock reminded me how little time I had to get ready.

Staring at me with an icy look on her face.

To steam out the wrinkles.

Because the movie was so violent, I grabbed onto the complete stranger’s hand next to me and screamed.

Everyone was in a good mood before Martha stormed into the room.

After he bought some donuts, he ate them.

Ticking loudly, the clock reminded me how little time I had to get ready.

Staring at me with an icy look on her face, my mother made me take off my shoes.

For my interview, I used an iron on my suit to steam out the wrinkles.