Sentence Fragments

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Sentence Fragments

• What they arehow to avoid them!

2
Fragments

• A sentence fragment is a part of s sentence
  punctuated to look like a real sentence.
• Ex A new mountain to be
  climbed.

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Fragments

• They are commonly used during conversation and
  there, make perfectly good sense
• When?
• Tomorrow.
• Really?
• No question about it.

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Fragments

• SOMETIMES, in writing they can be effective.
• For so many years driving had seemed so far off,
  but all of a sudden, it was there, staring me in
  the face. A new challenge to be conquered.

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Fragments

• But be CAREFUL! Unless you are sure you know how
  to use fragments AND that your reader will accept
  them, it is best to stick with complete
  sentences.

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Fragments

• But isnt there ALWAYS an exception?
• Yes!
• Fragments are commonly used in resumes and
  marginal notes.

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Fragments

• How can you tell if youve written one?
• Does the sentence have a subject?
• Defeated the great warriors in the kingdom.
• No? Then add one!
• He defeated the great warriors in the kingdom.

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Fragments

• How can you tell if youve written one?
• Does it have a predicate?
• Bungee jumping. Its not for everyone.
• No? You can usually combine it with another
  sentence.
• Bungee jumping, its not for everyone.

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Fragments

• Heffernan J.A.W., Lincoln, J.E. Writing A
  Concise Handbook. New York W.W. Norton and
  Company, 1997.

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Fragments

• How can you tell if youve written one?
• Is the sentence just a modifying phrase?
• Our room had a big window. With a view from of
  the ocean.
• Combine it with the phrase it modifies.
• Our room had a big window with a view of the
  ocean.

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Fragments

• Now you try