A sentence fragment is a group of words that looks like a sentence , but actually isn’t a complete sentence. Sentence fragments are usually missing a subject or verb, or they do not express a complete thought. While it may be punctuated to look like a complete sentence, a fragment cannot stand on its own.
What are some fragment words?
Some sentence fragments start with subordinates. Some examples of subordinators are ‘ when’, ‘after’ , ‘although’, ‘before’, ‘if’, ‘since’, ‘until’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘while’, and ‘why’. Sentence fragments can also be phrases. Phrases are groups of words that are missing a subject or verb, or both.
What is an example of a fragment?
Here is a glaring example of a sentence fragment: Because of the rain . On its own, because of the rain doesn’t form a complete thought. ... Now the fragment has become a dependent clause attached to a sentence that has a subject (the party) and a verb (was canceled).
What words are sentence fragments?
A sentence fragment is a word, phrase, or dependent clause that is punctuated as a sentence , but the subject, verb, or both may be missing.
What words start a fragment?
A sentence fragment is a group of words that resembles a sentence. It will start with a capital letter and have ending punctuation; however, it’s neither an independent clause nor a complete idea. Explore types of sentence fragment examples to learn the best ways to correct them.
How do you identify a fragment?
A fragment resembles a sentence in two ways. Both groups of words begin with a capital letter and conclude with an end mark —usually a period ( . ) but sometimes a question mark ( ? ) or an exclamation point ( ! ). The one important difference is that a fragment does not contain a main clause.
How do you know if it’s a sentence or fragment?
Without a complete thought, a phrase is considered a sentence fragment even if it contains both a subject and a verb. As an independent clause, a complete sentence must stand on its own.
What is a fragment in grammar?
Fragments are incomplete sentences. Usually, fragments are pieces of sentences that have become disconnected from the main clause . One of the easiest ways to correct them is to remove the period between the fragment and the main clause. Other kinds of punctuation may be needed for the newly combined sentence.
How do you avoid sentence fragments?
- Look for misplaced periods that may incorrectly separate words into incomplete sentences. ...
- Add the missing subject or verb to create a complete sentence. ...
- Join two or more fragments into a complete sentence (subject and predicate must both be included), using appropriate punctuation.
How do you explain a sentence fragment?
A sentence fragment is a group of words that looks like a sentence, but actually isn’t a complete sentence. Sentence fragments are usually missing a subject or verb, or they do not express a complete thought. While it may be punctuated to look like a complete sentence, a fragment cannot stand on its own.
What is a dependent word fragment?
Dependent-Word Fragments. Although dependent-word fragments contain a subject and a verb , they do not express a complete thought. To complete the thought, they depend on another statement, usually one that comes after the fragment. For instance, below is a word group that starts with the dependent word because.
What does appositive mean in English?
An appositive is a noun or pronoun — often with modifiers — set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it . ... An appositive phrase usually follows the word it explains or identifies, but it may also precede it. A bold innovator, Wassily Kandinsky is known for his colorful abstract paintings.
How do you fix a sentence fragment?
- Add the Missing Parts. Add a subject or verb to complete the thought. ...
- Join Clauses. Join the dependent clause with an independent clause to complete the thought. ...
- Rewrite the Sentence. Rewrite the sentence that isn’t making a complete thought.
What does the word fragment?
: a part broken off, detached, or incomplete The dish lay in fragments on the floor. fragment. verb. frag·ment | ˈfrag-ˌment fragmented; fragmenting; fragments.
Which is an example of a sentence fragment Thomas?
Which is an example of a sentence fragment? Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was published in 1776 . Common Sense, authored by Thomas Paine, was published in 1776. Correct Answer – Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, which was published in 1776.
What is the difference between run-on and fragment?
Remember that a sentence fragment is just another term for ‘ incomplete sentence . ‘ Sentence fragments usually lack either main verb or subject (or both). ... Run-on sentences consist of at least two independent clauses that are connected in one sentence without proper punctuation.
