Grammar Fragments

1. Fragments

2. What is a Fragment?
• A fragment is a word group that
lacks a subject or a verb and/or
one that does not express a
complete thought.

3. Types of Fragments
• dependent-word fragments
• -ing and to fragments
• added-details fragments
• missing-subject fragments

4. Dependent-Word Fragments
• A dependent statement, which
begins with a dependent word,
cannot stand alone.
• It depends on another statement
to complete the thought.

5. Dependent Words
after if, even if when,
whenever
although in order that where,
wherever
as since whether
because that, so that which,
whichever
before unless while
even though until who, whom,
whose
how what,
whatever

6. Whenever I go to school.
Whenever I go to school, I take the
bus.
He had finally picked up the socks.
That he had thrown on the floor
days ago.
He had finally picked up the socks
that he had thrown on the floor
days ago.

7. How to Correct a
Dependent-Word Fragment
• Use a comma (,) is a dependent-
word group comes at the
beginning of a sentence, but not
generally if it comes at the end of
a sentence.
After I cashed my paycheck, I treated
myself to dinner.
I won’t leave the house until I hear from
you.

8. How to Correct a
Dependent-Word Fragment
• Sometimes, who, that, which, or
where appear not at the very start
but near the start of a word group.
I drove slowly past the old brick house.
The place where I grew up.
I drove slowly past the old brick house,
the place where I grew up.

9. -ing and to Fragments
EXAMPLES:
Ellen walked all over the neighborhood
yesterday. Trying to find her dog Bo.
Several people claimed they had seen
him only hours before.
We sat back to watch the movie. Not
expecting anything special. To our
surprise, we clapped, cheered, and cried
for the next two hours.
I telephoned the balloon store. It being the
day before our wedding anniversary. I
knew my wife would be surprised to
receive a dozen heart-shaped balloons.

10. How to correct –ing
Fragments
• Attach the fragment to the sentence
that comes before it or the sentence
that comes after it, whichever makes
sense.
Ellen walked all over the neighborhood
yesterday. Trying to find her dog Bo.
Several people claimed they had seen
him only hours before.
Ellen walked all over the neighborhood
yesterday trying to find her dog Bo.

11. How to correct –ing
Fragments
• Add a subject and change the –
ing verb part to the correct form of
the verb.
We sat back to watch the movie. Not
expecting anything special. To our
surprise, we clapped, cheered, and cried
for the next two hours.
We didn’t expect anything special.

12. How to correct –ing
Fragments
• Change being to the correct form
of the verb be (am, are, is, was,
were).
I telephoned the balloon store. It
being the day before our wedding
anniversary. I knew my wife would
be surprised to receive a dozen
heart-shaped balloons.
It was the day before our
wedding anniversary.

13. How to correct to
Fragments
• When to appears at or near the
start of a word group, a fragment
sometimes results.
At the Chinese restaurant, Tim used
chopsticks. To impress his date. He spent
one hour eating a small bowl of rice.
At the Chinese restaurant, Tim used
chopsticks to impress his date.

14. Added-detail Fragments
• Added-detail fragments lack a subject
and a verb. They often begin with one
of the following words:
also especially except for
example
like including such as

15. How to correct Added-
detail Fragments
• Attach the fragment to the
complete thought that precedes it.
Before a race, I eat starchy foods. Such
as bread and spaghetti. The
carbohydrates provide quick energy.
Before a race, I eat starchy foods such
as bread and spaghetti.

16. How to correct Added-
detail Fragments
• Add a subject and a verb to the
fragment to make it a complete
sentence.
Bob is taking a night course in auto
mechanics. Also, one in plumbing. He
wants to save money on household
repairs.
Bob is taking a night course in auto
mechanics. Also, he is taking one in
plumbing.

17. How to correct Added-
detail Fragments
• Insert the fragment within the
preceding sentence.
My son keeps several pets in his room.
Including hamsters and mice.
My son keeps several pets, including
hamsters and mice, in his room.

18. Missing-Subject Fragments
EXAMPLES:
Alicia loved getting wedding
presents. But hated writing thank-
you notes.
Mickey has orange soda and potato
chips for breakfast. Then eats
more junk food, like root beer and
cookies, for lunch.

19. How to correct Missing-
Subject Fragments
• Attach the fragment to the
preceding sentence.
Alicia loved getting wedding presents. But
hated writing thank-you notes.
Alicia loved getting wedding presents but
hated writing thank-you notes.

20. How to correct Missing-
Subject Fragments
• Add a subject (which can be a
pronoun standing for the subject
in the preceding sentence).
Mickey has orange soda and potato chips for
breakfast. Then eats more junk food, like root
beer and cookies, for lunch.
Then he eats more junk food, like root beer
and cookies, for lunch.

21. Let’s
review.
☺

22. How to Check for Sentence
Fragments
• Read your paper aloud from the
last sentence to the first. You will
be better able to see and hear
whether each word group you
read is a complete thought.
• If you think a word group may be
fragment, ask yourself, Does this
contain a subject and a verb and
express a complete thought?

23. How to Check for Sentence
Fragments
• Be on the lookout for the most
common fragments.
– Dependent-word fragments (starting with
words like after, because, since, when,
and before)
– -ing and to fragments (-ing and to at or
near the start of a word group)
– Added-detail fragments (starting with
words like for example, such as, also, and
especially)
– Missing-subject fragments (a verb is
present but not the subject)

24. Exercise on
Fragments

25. Instruction
Write C if the word group is a
complete sentence.
Write F if the word group is a
fragment.

26. 1) Or shout out obscene
propositions.
2) Frustrated drivers who are stuck
in traffic will make nasty
comments.
3) I feel like a rabbit being pursued
by predators.
4) People break out in hives when
they eat sea foods. And can even
have trouble breathing.
5) Next term, I plan to take a course
in Calculus. And join the
mathematics club.

27. 6) When they pull onto the
shoulder of the road or make a
right turn.
7) I’m starting to think that there is
no safe place left.
8) Don passed the computer
school’s aptitude test.
9) With trembling hands, I headed
for the front of the classroom.
10)Punching all the buttons on his
radio in sequence.

28. References
• De Guzman, A. M., De Guzman, A. M.,
Desacado, C. J. L., Malonzo, J. H. C., Medrano,
M. O., & Villanueva, S. D. (2015). Maximizing
macroskills. Jimczyville Publications.
• https://www.cengageasia.com/