Download Fragments - Hunter College

HUNTER COLLEGE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
WRITING CENTER
GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS
Sentence Structure: Fragments
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that is punctuated as if it were a
complete sentence by an initial capital letter and a final period or other end punctuation.
However, unlike a complete sentence, a sentence fragment either lacks a subject, verb, and/or
complete verb, or it is a dependent clause not attached to an independent clause.
I.
Missing Subject Fragment
A sentence without a subject--
Example:
What to do:
Correction:
Mary came into the room. Closed the door.
Add a subject
She closed the door.
*Note: If you are expressing a command, you do not need a subject. This is called an imperative sentence.
Example:
II.
Don't leave the room!
(You is the silent subject.)
Missing Verb or Incomplete Verb Fragment
Missing Verb: A sentence without a finite verb--
Example:
What to do:
Correction:
The assembly person in our district.
Find a finite verb
The assembly person in our district
works diligently.
Note: A finite verb is capable of making an assertion without the aid of a helping verb; in addition, it changes form to
show the difference in present, past, and future time. Verbals such as working and to work do not change and are
not finite verbs.
Incomplete Verb: An -ing verb (present participle) in the place of a finite verb without a
helping verb
Helping Verbs: To be: am, is, are, were, was
Example:
What to do:
Correction:
The statue standing by the doorway.
Add a helping verb
The statue is standing by the doorway.
or
Incomplete Verb: A past participle (-d/-ed/-t/n) used in a passive verb form without a
helping verb.
Example:
What to do:
Correction:
The statue located by the door.
Add a helping verb
The statue is located by the door.
Note: Since the statue cannot locate itself, the verb form must be passive, indicating someone other than the subject
of the sentence (the statue) placed it by the door. Passive voice is formed by using the helping verb--to be--plus the
participle. Some verbs are irregular and take the-t-or-n-form.
Example:
What to do:
Correction:
She caught by the authorities.
Add a helping verb
She was caught by the authorities.
*For more information on passive verb form see Active and Passive Verb form handout.
III.
Dependent Clause Fragment
A main or independent clause can stand alone as a sentence: She believed that she
would pass the test. A dependent or subordinate clause is like a main clause in that it must
have a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand alone as a sentence because it begins with a
subordinating word such as if, when, because, since, who, that, after, or before.
Subordinating words express particular relationships between the clauses they introduce and
the main clauses to which they are attached.
Example:
What to do:
Correction:
After Maria bought the biology book.
Add an independent clause.
After Maria bought the biology book, she began studying for her exam.
*In this example, the subordinating conjunction, after, indicates a time relationship between the two clauses.
The two most common types of subordinating words are subordinating conjunctions and relative
pronouns.
Subordinating Conjunctions always come at the beginning of subordinate clauses.
Common Subordinating Conjunctions:
after, although, as, as if, as long as, as though, because, before, even if, even though,
if, if only, in order that, now that, once, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, till,
unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, while
Example:
If it doesn't rain tonight, we will go to the park.
Relative pronouns: which, that, what, whatever, who (whose, whom), whoever
(whomever)
Example:
My uncle who lives in my house is getting married and moving out.
Types of Subordinate Clauses
All subordinate clauses function as adjectives, adverbs, and nouns and are described
as adjective, adverb, or noun clauses according to their use in a particular sentence.
Adjective clauses modify nouns and pronouns, providing necessary or helpful information
about them. These clauses usually begin with relative pronouns, but a few begin with when or
where (standing for in which, on which, or at which).
Example:
Example:
Diana is the girl who always get to class
early. (modifies girl)
There comes a time when each of us must
work. (modifies time)
Adverb clauses modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and whole groups of words. They
usually tell how, why, when, where, under what conditions, or with what result. They
always begin with subordinating conjunctions.
Example:
Elaine is nicer when she is talking on the phone. (modifies nicer)
Example:
She responded as quickly as she could. (modifies quickly)
Noun clauses function as subjects, objects, and complements in sentences. They usually
begin with either that or what or with the words when, where, whether, why, and how. Unlike
adjective and adverb clauses, noun clauses replace a word (a noun) within a main clause;
therefore, they can be difficult to identify.
Subject)
Example:
The lecture pleased the audience.
Example:
What the lecturer said pleased the audience. (The noun clause
replaces `The lecture' as the sentence subject.
Object)
Example
Everyone knows what a panther is.
(object of knows)
Questions
If the word group begins with how, who, whom, whose, which, where, when, what, or
why introducing a question, it can stand alone as a complete sentence.