English III
Sentence Fragments
COMPLETE
SENTENCES VERSUS SENTENCE FRAGMENTS:
1.
A complete sentence contains a subject and a verb (Candy is sweet).
2.
A complete sentence is not a subordinate clause (beginning with a
subordinating conjunction such as because and whereas or a
relative pronoun such as who and that).
A
sentence fragment:
1.
A sentence fragment lacks a verb (The horse running away);
2.
or
lacks a subject (And ran away);
3.
or
is a subordinate clause not attached to a complete sentence (Because it was
confused).
3
TESTS FOR SENTENCE COMPLETENESS:
1.
Find a verb.
a) Four years of study and then
graduation. (FRAGMENT)
Four years of study precede
graduation. (CORRECT)
b) The statue standing by the
door. (FRAGMENT)
The statue is standing by the door. (CORRECT)
2.
Find a subject. (If you find the finite verb,
look for its subject by asking who or what performs the action or makes an
assertion of the verb).
a) And closed the door quietly.
(Fragment)
And he closed the door quietly. (Correct)
And close the door quietly. (Correct)
3.
Look for a subordinating word (although, because, that, when,
and so on).
a) As the plane lifted from the
runway. (Fragment)
The plane lifted from the runway. (Correct)
b) The plane that he had
missed. (Fragment)
The plane that he had missed took off. (Correct)
English
III
In-Class
Exercise
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
Correct any sentence fragment below either by combining it with a main clause or by making it a main clause. If the item contains no sentence fragment, circle the number preceding it.
1.
She helped her sister pack the china.
Before the movers came.
2.
We will run in the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival this
weekend. If the beautiful weather
continues.
3.
As I drove to school, listening for the traffic report on my radio.
4.
Joe and Betty missed the Razorback Football game against
5.
The lecture having ended, and hurrying to the student union for lunch.
Revise the following paragraph to eliminate sentence fragments by combining them with main clauses or rewriting them as main clauses.
Hiring William as the manager of the baseball team was a stupid move. Or a very clever maneuver. Depending on whether one is thinking like a fan or like the team’s owner. Fans claim it was stupid. Because William is hard to get along with and unfair. They say he is also a poor manager. Failing to make the best use of the team’s talents. And creating friction among the players. However, the team’s owner may have had a good reason for hiring such a manager. In order to make the team less attractive to unfriendly buyers. Who have been threatening a hostile takeover of the team. Hiring William could have been intended to prevent the takeover. And in the long run save the team.
Indicate whether the
following groups of words are complete sentences ( C ) or
fragments of sentences ( F ). If the word group is a fragment,
make the necessary correction to complete it.
1. Although they had not planned their vacation.
2. Ned deliberately forgot his dentist appointment.
3. The salesperson who sells wood stoves.
4. for the next few years Jack, who loves to sleep late.
5. During early October students, who hate English class.
6. Have you ever considered buying a pencil sharpener for in-class exams?
7. This pottery, which is made by a Japanese technique.
8. If we start paper 3 tomorrow.
9. I hope we don’t miss the Razorback Softball games this year.
10. Although we went farther up the river.
11. Tourists who visit the new Razorback Stadium.
12. After many hours of searching for the missing notebook.
13. Are you familiar with the TV program “The Andy Griffith Show” that airs every afternoon at 6:00pm?
14. Directly across the road from us.
15. The florist delivered the flowers to the wrong house.
16. Americans’ concern with getting the Anthrax virus.
17.
Yvette, who is returning to
18. That bay mare, whose name is Whistle.
19. The student tried to balance his checkbook but found no money.
20. Most of us do not take criticism well.
21.
22. Tennis, which requires great concentration.
23. The summer heat, which was often unbearable, is now over.