Fragment.ppt

Sentence Fragments Every sentence must have a subject and a verb and must express a complete thought. A word group that lacks a subject or a verb or both and that does not express a complete thought is a fragment. More about Fragment A SENTENCE FRAGMENT fails to be a sentence in the sense that it cannot stand by itself. It does not contain even one independent clause. There are several reasons why a group of words may seem to act like a sentence but not have the wherewithal to make it as a complete thought. The most common types of fragments are dependent-word fragments, phrase fragments, subject-missing fragments, and predicate-missing fragments. 1. Dependent-word fragments (clause fragments) Although a clause has its subject and verb, it can not stand alone as an independent sentence. Therefore, a subordinate clause posing as a whole sentence is a dependent-word fragment. Whenever you start a sentence with a subordinating conjunction, you must be careful so that a fragment does not result. The word group below beginning with the dependent word after is a fragment. After I arrived in Chicago by bus. I checked into a room. Then I went to a diner to get something to eat. To correct the fragment, simply follow through and complete the thought. After I arrived in Chicago by bus, I checked into a room. … Or I arrived in Chicago by bus. … My little daughter likes to make paper boats. Which she floats in the tub during her nightly bath. ? My little daughter likes to make paper boats which she floats in the tub during her nightly bath. ? … She floats them in the tub during her nightly bath. Practice 1. After I slid my aching bones into the hot tub water. I realized that there was no soap. But I didn’t want to get out again. 2. The peas and carrots had a flat taste. Since they had come from a can. I forced myself to eat them. 3. Because he had eaten and drunk too much. He had to leave the party early. His stomach was like a volcano. That was ready to erupt. 4.