What is a sentence fragment?
A sentence fragment is a group of words that looks like a sentence but is missing one or more of the essential elements:
* Subject: The person, place, or thing doing the action.
* Verb: The action word or state of being.
How to identify sentence fragments:
1. Look for a subject and a verb: Does the group of words contain both a subject and a verb?
* Example: "Running through the park." (Subject: missing; Verb: "running") This is a fragment.
* Example: "The dog barked loudly." (Subject: "dog"; Verb: "barked") This is a complete sentence.
2. Check for a complete thought: Does the group of words express a complete thought?
* Example: "Because the sun was shining." (Incomplete thought: "Why?" or "What happened?" need to be answered.) This is a fragment.
* Example: "The sun was shining." (Complete thought: The sentence makes sense on its own.) This is a complete sentence.
3. Watch for common fragment types:
* Dependent clauses: These start with words like "because," "although," "since," "when," "while," "if," or "that." They can't stand alone as a sentence.
* Phrases: These often lack a verb or a subject. For example, "running through the park" or "after the rain."
Examples of fragments:
* While I was walking to school.
* Because of the snowstorm.
* When the bell rang.
Examples of complete sentences:
* I was walking to school.
* The snowstorm caused a delay.
* The bell rang at 8:00.
Tips for fixing fragments:
* Add a subject: "While I was walking to school, I saw a bird."
* Add a verb: "Because of the snowstorm, we had to cancel our plans."
* Attach the fragment to a nearby sentence: "When the bell rang, the students rushed out of the classroom."
Remember, it's important to write complete sentences to make your writing clear and understandable.