AVOID SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
LEARN TO SPOT FRAGMENTS
A complete sentence includes a subject and a verb and expresses a complete idea. A sentence fragement is a group of words punctuated like a sentence, but a fragment does not:
Contain a verb. |
Contain a subject. |
Express a complete idea. |
| |
No verb: | Visiting Tokyo (What about "Visiting Tokyo"?) |
No subject: | Visited Tokyo (Who "Visited Tokyo"?) |
Incomplete Idea: | When Tanya visited Tokyo (What happened when she "visited Tokyo"?) |
LEARN THREE WAYS TO CORRECT SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
Add a verb:
NOT:The Himalayas in Asia
BUT:The Himalayas are in Asia.
Add a subject:
NOT:Climbed Mt. Everest.
BUT: Edmund Hillary climbed Mt. Everest.
Complete the idea:
NOT:Covered with snow.
BUT:Covered with snow, the mountain peaks glistened.
LEARN OTHER WAYS TO SPOT FRAGMENTS
Look for adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, relative pronouns and -ing words (gerunds and participles) not followed by complete ideas.
Adverb: | When they traveled to Nepal. They saw Mt. Everest. |
Conjunction: | As they climbed the mountain. Breathing became more difficult. |
Preposition: | They planned a brief trip. To the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. |
Relative Pronoun: | Earth’s highest mountain is Everest. Which lies between Nepal and Tibet. |
-ing words: | Even experienced climbers have been killed. Attempting to climb Mt. Everest. |
To correct such fragments, simply combine sentences.
When they traveled to Nepal, they saw Mt. Everest.
As they climbed the mountain, breathing became more difficult.
They planned a trip to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.
Earth’s highest mountain is Everest, which lies between Nepal and Tibet.
Even experienced climbers have been killed attempting to climb Mt. Everest.
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