SENTENCE BOUNDARIES

By: Erin, Jennifer, Jill, Heather

FRAGMENTS “A sentence fragment is an incomplete

sentence”( Harris 34).

“To recognize a fragment consider the basic requirements of a sentence” ( Harris 34).

1. “A sentence is a group of words with at least one independent clause” ( Harris 34).

2. An independent clause has a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.

3. “An independent clause can stand alone as a thought, even though it may need other sentences before and after to clarify the thoughts being expressed” ( Harris 34).

3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF FRAGMENTS

3 types of fragments that can’t stand alone!

Subordinate Conjunction Fragments

Verbal Fragments

Added Information Fragments

VERBAL FRAGMENTS-

When a verb form is used as a different function. One type of verbal ends in ing or ed, while another verbal form is marked by a to before the verb (walking, walked, to walk; using, used, to use; carrying, carried, to carry).”

EXAMPLES: NO: Walking the dog in the sunshine while birds sing and

cats gambol. YES: I walk the dog in the sunshine while birds sing and cats gambol.

NO: A hat can serve many purposes. Used to protect balding heads from sunburn. YES: Used for anything from adding flair to a wardrobe to protecting balding heads from the sun, a hat can serve many purposes.

NO: To carry the ball, the bat, the bag, and the cat into the house. YES: He is trying to carry the ball, the bat, the bag, and the cat into the house.

SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION FRAGMENTS

“A word group that begins with a subordinate conjunction cannot stand alone as a sentence, but must be attached to an independent clause, a word group that can stand alone. Watch for these common subordinate conjunctions.”

Examples:

AFTER ALTHOUGH AS(AS IF) BECAUSE

BEFORE EVEN HOW

IF IN ORDER THAT

RATHER THAN

SINCE

SO THAT THAN THAT THOUGH

WHILE UNLESS UNTIL WHEN

WHERE WHICH WHO WHOM

WHOSE WHY

EXAMPLES OF SUBORDINATE- CONJUNCTIONS FRAGMENTS

Complete Sentence: Heather and Jennifer completed their project.

Subordinator: When Heather and Jennifer completed their project. (sentence fragment)

Complete Sentence: The dog and cat played with the ball of string.

Subordinator: Since the dog and cat played with the ball of string

ADDED DETAIL FRAGMENTS

“An added detail fragment usually gives more information about the previous sentence. These fragments often begin with one of these words:”

Examples: NO: Some pets are expensive to maintain. For

example, the horse. YES: Some pets are expensive to maintain. Horses,

for example, must be boarded. YES: Some pets are expensive to maintain, for

example, the horse.

For example Including Also

Such As Except Especially

PROOFREADING FOR FRAGMENTS

For misplaced-period fragments, read your paper backwards (from last sentence to the first), taking each sentence out of its context to check for completeness.

Look for marker words, which are usually found at the beginning of the clause to finish the thought. Marker Words-

“subordinators” such as after, although, because, before, during, if, since, unless, when, while

“ing” words

RUN-ONS

“A run-on is a sentence that connects two independent clauses without any punctuation. One type of run-on contains two independent clauses laid side-by-side. These can be hard to spot, but reading the writing aloud helps you hear which word groups belong together.”

Look for the coordinating conjunctions, the “joining words” (mnemonic: FANBOYS)

For AndNor But OrYetSo

EXAMPLES OF RUN-ONS

NO: Humor is universal among cultures what counts as funny differs from culture to culture. YES: Humor is universal among cultures. What counts as funny differs from culture to culture.

NO: Gestures are a common form of communication to everyone but they are essential among the hearing impaired. YES: Gestures are a common form of communication to everyone, but they are essential among the hearing impaired.

COMMA SPLICES “When two independent clauses are joined (or spliced)

together with a comma, the error is called a comma splice. This error most commonly occurs when a compound sentence contains an adverb that often appears between two independent clauses. Watch for the following adverbs which often (not always) signal two independent clauses.”Additionally Consequently Furthermore Hence However Instead Moreover Neverthel

essOtherwise Rather Still Then

Therefore Thus

EXAMPLES OF COMMA SPLICES

NO: I went to the store to buy bananas however, they were out. YES: I went to the store to buy bananas; however, they were out.

NO: She was planning on walking to work, instead, she drove her car. YES: She was planning on walking to work; instead, she drove her car.

PROOFREADING FOR COMMA SPLICES AND RUN ON SENTENCES

Cover all the words on one side of the comma to see if the words remaining constitute an independent clause (a simple sentence).

Then cover that clause, and uncover all the words on the other side of the comma. If the structures on both sides of the comma are independent clauses, you have written a comma splice and should correct it.

WORKS CITED

Harris, Muriel. The Writer’s FAQs: A Pocket Handbook. 3rd Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2007.

“Sentence Boundaries: Fragments.” Writing Center of Western Washington University. 2 July 2008 <http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/writingcenter/Handouts/Sentence_Boundries.htm#frag>.

“Comma Splices and Fused Sentences.” Centers for Writers. 7 July 2008 <http://www.cameron.edu/~carolynk/comma_splices.html>.