FUN WITH

FRAGMENTSExploring

Sentences and Sentence Fragments

A SENTENCE IS A GROUP OF WORDS THAT EXPRESSES A COMPLETE THOUGHT.

A SENTENCE CONTAINS A SUBJECT AND A VERB.

DAN ATTENDED THE PEP RALLY BEFORE THE FOOTBALL GAME.

SOMETIMES PART OF THE SENTENCE MAY BE MISSING.

• Three little girls in the front row What’s missing?

• Ran behind the blue couch What’s missing?

• In the attic at the top of the stairs What’s missing?

WHEN A GROUP OF WORDS FAILS TO TELL US• Who or what did something (the

subject),

• What happened (the verb),

• Or both (the subject and the verb),

we have what is known as a sentence fragment.

• A sentence fragment is only a PIECE of a sentence.

• It does NOT express a complete thought.

Let’s correct these sentence

fragments!

Sat behind me in science class

What’s missing?

YES, WE NEED A SUBJECT.

The new girl sat behind me in science class.

The bag of groceries on the kitchen table

What’s missing?

YES, WE NEED A VERB.

The bag of groceries on the

kitchen table goes to Grandmother's

house.

After the rain stopped

What’s missing?

YES, WE NEED A SUBJECT AND A VERB.

After the rain stopped, the children ran

outside to play.

Remember,A sentence must tell you all you need to

know to have a complete thought.

Watch out for sentence fragments!

SENTENCE OR

FRAGMENT?

The book Johnny Tremain is historical fiction.

The book Johnny Tremain is historical fiction.

We have a subject and predicate, so this is a sentence.

A Newbery Medal winner.

A Newbery Medal winner.

This is only a subject. There is no predicate.

This is a fragment.

Esther Forbes’s nonfiction book on Paul Revere won a Pulitzer

Prize.

Esther Forbes’s nonfiction book on Paul Revere won a Pulitzer

Prize.

We have a subject and predicate, so this is a sentence.

The silversmith Paul Revere.

The silversmith Paul Revere.

What about him?This is only a subject, so it is a fragment.

Offered Johnny a job.

Offered Johnny a job.

Who offered Johnny a job?There is only a predicate, so this is a

fragment.

Johnny liked his work.

Johnny liked his work.

We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

Made things of silver.

Made things of silver.

Who made things of silver?This is only a predicate, so this is a fragment.

Johnny burned his hand.

Johnny burned his hand.

We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

A terrible accident.

A terrible accident.

What about the terrible accident?

This is only a subject, so this is a fragment.

An operation made his hand well again.

An operation made his hand well again.

We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

THE END