6.3: Avoiding Fragments

Strategy 1

When you read a sentence, ask yourself, “Who (or what) did what?” If you can answer that question, you are reading a sentence. If not, you are reading a fragment.

• Test these examples:
• Sandra ate lunch early.
• Sandra ate her lunch early.
• I can answer the question, so it’s a sentence .
• After the shelf came loose.
• Something happened after the shelf came loose, but I don’t know what.
• I can’t answer the question, so it’s a fragment .
• Fell near the door.
• I know something fell, but I don’t know who or what fell.
• I can’t answer the question, so it’s a fragment .

Strategy 2

Fill in this blank with your sentence: Did you know that _________? If the completed question makes sense, you are reading a sentence. If it doesn’t make sense, you are reading a fragment.

• Test these examples:
• Lost my earring.
• Did you know that lost my earring ?
• The test doesn’t make sense, so the original is a fragment .
• The dog with the white paws near the gate.
• Did you know that the dog with the white paws near the gate ?
• The test doesn’t make sense, so the original is a fragment .
• Someone left the window open.
• Did you know that someone left the window open ?
• The test makes sense, so the original is a sentence .
• Spaghetti squash is a great substitute for pasta.
• Did you know that spaghetti squash is a great substitute for pasta ?
• The test makes sense, so the original is a sentence.

Strategy 3

When you have a group of sentences within a paragraph, read the sentences backward so that no sentence can gain information from the preceding sentence. This technique will help sentence fragments stand out since they will not make sense alone. Ultimately all these strategies are designed to get you into the habit of asking whether your sentences stand on their own. If you have problems with writing fragments, perform these tests until recognizing what constitutes a sentence becomes second nature to you. When you recognize a fragment, you can turn it into sentence by adding the missing component.

Try these examples:

• This fragment has no subject: Giggling and laughing all the way to school.
• One possible way to add a subject and turn this fragment into a sentence:
• The girls were giggling and laughing all the way to school.
• This fragment has no predicate: A brand new iPhone with all kinds of apps.
• One possible way to add a predicate and turn this fragment into a sentence:
• A brand new iPhone with all kinds of apps isn’t cheap!