Understanding Sentence Fragments
A sentence fragment is a group of words that looks like a sentence but lacks one or more of the essential elements:
* Subject: The person, place, thing, or idea that performs the action or is being described.
* Verb: The action or state of being.
* Complete Thought: A sentence must express a complete idea.
How to Fix Sentence Fragments
1. Identify the Missing Element(s): Figure out what's missing from the fragment. Is it a subject, a verb, or both?
2. Add the Missing Element(s):
* Missing Subject: Add a subject that makes sense.
* Missing Verb: Add a verb that shows action or state of being.
* Missing Both: Add both a subject and a verb.
3. Check for a Complete Thought: Make sure the sentence now expresses a complete idea.
Examples
Fragment: Running through the park.
Complete Sentence: The children were running through the park. (Added subject "children" and verb "were running")
Fragment: Because of the heavy rain.
Complete Sentence: The game was cancelled because of the heavy rain. (Added subject "game" and verb "was cancelled")
Fragment: The red car with the shiny chrome.
Complete Sentence: The red car with the shiny chrome was parked in the driveway. (Added verb "was parked")
Tips for Recognizing Fragments
* Look for "helping verbs": "is," "are," "was," "were," "have," "has," "had," etc. If you see these, you're likely missing a main verb.
* Watch out for conjunctions: "and," "but," "or," "so," etc. These often connect complete sentences, so if a sentence starts with one, it might be a fragment.
* Check for subject-verb agreement: The subject and verb must agree in number (singular/plural). If they don't match, you might have a fragment.
Let me know if you have any specific sentence fragments you'd like help fixing!