Sentences & Fragments
What is a complete sentence? What is a sentence fragment?
Compare the sentences in Group A with Group B. How do the sentences differ?
Group A Group B
The girls thinking about starting their own book club.
|
The girls are thinking about starting their own book club. |
In my neighbor's driveway. |
There is a truck in my neighbor's driveway.
|
Speaking of Halloween with Aunt Josephine.
|
He was speaking of Halloween with Aunt Josephine. |
Because they were bored and restless.
|
They were bored and restless. |
A complete sentence has a subject and a verb.
A sentence fragment is a piece of a sentence; it is a group of words that is broken off from a complete sentence. A sentence fragment cannot stand on its own, often because the fragment lacks a subject + verb combination.
Incorrect: The girls thinking about starting their own book club.
Correct: The girls are thinking about starting their own book club.
Incorrect: Those cats making a mess of the Johnsons' sofa.
Correct: Those cats have been making a mess of the Johnsons' sofa.
Different forms of the verb |
Different forms of the verb
|
I am / I am being | I have / I have been |
He is / He is being | He has / He has been |
She is / She is being | She has / She has been |
One is / One is being | One has / One has been |
It is /It is being | It has / It has been |
We are / We are being | We have / We have been |
They are / They are being | They have / They have been |
*It helps to memorize the above table.
A complete sentence has to stand on its own.
Sometimes a group of words may contain a subject and a verb but still be a fragment. If the group begins with a word like Because, While, or Until, it becomes a dependent clause. A dependent clause does not express a complete thought and cannot stand on its own.
Incorrect: Because they were bored and restless.
Correct: They were bored and restless.
Incorrect: Until the bus arrived.
Correct: The bus arrived. (OR) We waited until the bus arrived.
Practice
Correct the following sentence fragments.
1 After the long, frightening ordeal in the blizzard.
2 Past the science lab and the cafeteria.
3 Above the building, saw gray sky.
4 My sister's house is on Alp Street. Which is getting new sewers next week.
5 Lions crave a special food. In the spring. With the taste and smell of African antelope.
6 Lost in thought. Mr. Jones didn't hear his brother. Slamming the front door.
7 My daughter rushed into the kitchen. Looking like a maniac.
8 Filling up rapidly with smoke. He was yelling at the top of his lungs. To warn his father about the house on fire.
9 What would have become of her. I often wonder. If you hadn't been waiting and ready for her return home.
10 Tom's friends were all mad at him. After he'd snubbed them for so long. Even though by then he needed support more than ever.
Answers (Below are possible answers. Your words may vary.)
1. After the long, frightening ordeal in the blizzard, we made it home.
2. I walked past the science lab and the cafeteria.
3. Above the building, she saw gray sky.
4. My sister's house is on Alp Street, which is getting new sewers next week.
5. In the spring, lions crave a special food with the taste and smell of African antelope.
6. Lost in thought, Mr. Jones didn't hear his brother slamming the front door.
7. My daughter rushed into the kitchen looking like a maniac.
8. He was yelling at the top of his lungs to warn his father about the house on fire, as it was filling up rapidly with smoke.
9. I often wonder what would have become of her if you hadn't been waiting and ready for her return home.
10. Tom's friends were all mad at him after he'd snubbed them for so long, even though by then he needed support more than ever.