Fragments

Sentence Fragments

A complete sentence has a subject, a verb, and words to complete the thought.
A sentence fragment is missing one or more of these parts. Read the information and examples, and try the exercise for practice.

Example:

I like.

This has a subject (I) and a verb (like) but no words to complete the thought, so it is a sentence fragment. You can make this fragment into a sentence by completing the thought:

I like working in the garden.

Example:

Jim and Pete worked on their art project. Instead of going to the meeting.

Most sentence fragments are phrases that belong to the previous sentence. Sometimes writers have trouble catching them because their minds supply the connection that the reader doesn't have.

The second "sentence" is a sentence fragment. It is missing the subject(s) Jim and Pete. The two sentences can be combined to make one complete sentence.

Jim and Pete worked on their art project instead of going to the meeting.

Complete each sentence fragment and check answers.

1. I went.

2. Going to the show.

3. Jane and Pat had.

4. The best one of all.

5. The girls went home. To read and do homework.

Answers

1. I went out to eat.

2. Going to the show was fun.

3. Jane and Pat had a picnic lunch.

4. My dog was the best one of all.

5. The girls went home to read and do homework.

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Practice with Run-ons