Transcription of Fragment Tip 1
1 1 fragment tip 1 Recognize a Fragment when you see one. A Fragment is an incomplete sentence that begins with a capital letter and concludes with an end mark usually a period [.] but sometimes a question mark [?] or an exclamation point [!]. The Fragment will not, however, contain a main clause, the one grammatical unit essential in every sentence. A main clause looks like this: SU B J E C T + VERB = CO M P L E T E TH O U G H T . When you write fragments , you indicate that you cannot control a sentence, the most basic building block of writing. As a result, your reader will have a low opinion of the document. Every sentence must pass three tests before you can call it complete. TE S T 1 FI N D T H E V E R B. Every sentence must have a verb. Verbs express action or connect important information to the subject.
2 Look at the complete sentences that follow: T h e h a p p y c a l c u l u s s t u d e n t s s h o u t e d i n t h e c a f e t e r i a . D r . R i b l e y h a d c u r v e d t h e g r a d e s o n t h e i r d i f f i c u l t m i d t e r m e x a m . O t h e r s t u d e n t s w e r e u p s e t a t t h e n o i s e . When you are proofreading a sentence, you will sometimes find a verbal instead of a verb. A verbal is unable to change form; you cannot, for example, add s or ed to the end of one. Read the examples below: T h e h a p p y c a l c u l u s s t u d e n t s s h o u t i n g i n t h e c a f e t e r i a . 2 D r R i b l e y h a v i n g c u r v e d t h e g r a d e s o n t h e i r m i d t e r m e x a m . O t h e r s t u d e n t s b e i n g u p s e t a t a l l o f t h e n o i s e.
3 These last three examples are fragments because they fail Test 1. TE S T 2 FI N D T H E S U B J E C T. If you find an action verb in the sentence, the subject is whoever or whatever is doing that action. If, on the other hand, you find a linking verb, such as am, is, are, was, or were, the subject is usually whoever or whatever comes before the verb. Here are two sample sentences: T h e r e f r i g e r a t o r h u m m e d i n t h e k i t c h e n . What was humming? The fridge! T h e c o f f e e m a k e r w a s a n n o y e d. What was annoyed? The coffee maker! Sometimes writers assume that we know who or what the subject is, so they leave it out. Read the example that follows: T h e c o f f e e m a k e r w a s a n n o y e d . A n d t h e n e x t m o r n i n g h i s s e d m o r e v e h e m e n t l y t h a n u s u a l.
4 What hissed? The coffee maker did. Unfortunately, coffee maker is not part of the word group beginning with And. As a result, this word group is a Fragment because it fails Test 2. TE S T 3 FI N D T H E C O M P L E T E T H OU G H T. Between every capital letter and end mark, readers expect a complete thought. A subordinate clause, for example, has both a subject and a verb. However, the clause also begins with a subordinate conjunction such as because, if, or since; or a relative pronoun such as who, which, or that; or a relative adverb such as when, where, or why. These opening words keep the subject and verb from expressing a complete thought. Look at the example below: W h e n K a r a c a u g h t s i g h t o f h e r e x-b o y f r i e n d R o b . 3 Grammar Bytes! | | 2018 When Kara saw Rob, what happened?
5 We don't know because the thought is incomplete. This word group is thus a Fragment because it fails Test 3. QUICK TEST Directions: Put an X by the item if the word group is a Fragment . Write OK by the item if the word group passes the three tests for a complete sentence. 1. When Sammy discovers the empty carton of vanilla ice cream, he will explode with anger. 2. Jeanne, engrossed in another trashy romance novel, did not realize the meatloaf was still in the freezer. 3. Alex needs to bring home some roses if he wants Mimi to forgive him for flirting with Helen. 4. Belching black exhaust that suffocated the drivers who followed. 5. The can of whipped cream that Diane used to squirt into the mouth of Santana, her beagle.
