Correcting Sentence Fragments

What is a sentence fragment?

Correcting phrase fragments
Correcting subordinate-clause fragments
Using fragments for stylistic effect
 What is a sentence fragment?

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.
 What is a sentence fragment?

Whenever I see a rainbow. Fragment

1. Does the group of

YES
words have a subject?

2. Does it have a verb? YES

3. Does it express a NO
What happens whenever
complete thought?
you see a rainbow?
 What is a sentence fragment?

Identify which of the following are

sentence fragments. Be prepared to explain your
answer.

1. Explained the binary number system.

2. Only the digits 0 and 1 are used in the binary

number system.

3. Although it is not the only number system.

4. Many computer programmers use the binary

system.
 Correcting phrase fragments

Make each phrase fragment part of a

complete sentence, adding commas where needed.

1. Construction work on the Panama Canal

continued. For ten years.
2. Fighting the mosquitoes. An army surgeon
drained the swamps.

3. During the canal’s construction. Builders

faced many obstacles.

4. An engineering wonder. The canal linked

the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
 Correcting subordinate-clause fragments

There are two ways to fix a subordinate clause

fragment:

Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete

sentence.
Who
He was
scored
the batter
the winning
who scored
run. the winning run.

Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence.

Although he is a sophomore.
sophomore, He
he is our best pitcher.
 Using fragments for stylistic effect

An experienced writer may use fragments for

effect if they are clearly related to a nearby
sentence.

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.

[End of Section]
The End