Avoiding Sentence Fragments

1
Introduction
A sentence fragment tries its best to be a
sentence, but it just cant make it. Its missing
something.
Often, its missing a verb or part of a verb
string
John working extra hard on his hook shot lately.
Here, for instance, were missing an auxiliary
has been, in this case, probably that would
complete the verb string and the sentence.
2
Incomplete Verb, Part Two
A sentence fragment tries its best to be a
sentence, but it just cant make it. Its missing
something.
Often, its missing a verb or part of a verb
string
Spending hours every day after school and even on
weekends.
This time were missing a whole verb. Spending
is a participle wanting to modify something, but
there is no subject-verb relationship within the
sentence.
3
Avoiding Sentence Fragments
Sometimes a sentence fragment can give you a
great deal of information, but its still not a
complete sentence
After the coach encouraged him so much last year
and he seemed to improve with each passing game.
Here we have a subject-verb relationship in
fact, we have two of them but the entire clause
is subordinated by the dependent word after. We
have no independent clause.
4
Avoiding Sentence Fragments
Be alert for strings of prepositional phrases
that never get around to establishing a
subject-verb relationship
Immediately after the founding of the college and
during those early years as the predominant
educational institution in the American Midwest.
Again, be careful of sentences which give their
share of information but still dont contain a
subject and verb.
5
Avoiding Sentence Fragments
If you still have problems identifying sentence
fragments and repairing them, it might be helpful
to review the material in the Guide to Grammar
and Writing on
CLAUSES PHRASES (and the types of sentences
in) SENTENCE VARIETY
6
Avoiding Sentence Fragments
Now you never again will have trouble with
sentence fragments!
CONGRATULATIONS!