Fixing Fragments

What is a fragment? A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It may look like a sentence and

even have correct punctuation, but it is missing one of the three elements required to make the

sentence complete. These three elements are:

• A subject: This is a noun or noun phrase—a person, place, or thing—that does the main

as a subordinate clause that provides more information while still expressing a complete thought.

Sentences that are incomplete and become fragments often run into one of the problems below:

1. Subordinate Clause Fragments: These are also called dependent clauses. They may contain

a subject and a verb, but the presence of a subordinate conjunction, a relative pronoun, or a

relative adverb keeps the subordinate clause from being a complete sentence.

Ex. Before Bob studies for the big test next Tuesday.

While this has a subject (Bob) and a verb (studies), the word before (a subordinate conjunction)

means that this idea is not complete.

How do I fix this? Subordinate clause fragments can often be fixed two ways:

• Remove the subordinate conjunction, relative pronoun, or relative adverb.

Note: When the subordinate clause is at the beginning of the sentence, it is connected to

the main clause with a comma. No comma is necessary when the subordinate clause

appears after the main clause.

2. Appositive Fragments: Appositives are noun phrases that often provide extra information

or description. While they might seem lengthy enough to be sentences, if they lack a verb,

they are fragments.

Ex. The frantic student, a classmate of Bob’s.

This has a noun that could function as the subject (The student), but there is no verb.

How do I fix this?

often begin with a word ending in –ing or –ed or an irregular past participle.

Ex. Trying to study the night before the test but feeling too exhausted to stay awake.

How do I fix this?

• Add a main clause. If the clause will precede appositive, that often means adding in who

or what was doing the action plus a linking verb:

The student was trying to study the night before the test but was feeling too exhausted to

stay awake.

You can add a main clause after the participial phrase that provides more information:

How do I fix this? Connect it to a main clause: To study more effectively than simply

cramming the night before the test, Bob decided to plan several study sessions a week

before the test.

Or, Bob decided to study more effectively than simply cramming the night before the test.

5. Afterthought Fragments: These fragments usually begin with a connecting word/phrase

such as: for example, additionally, also, such as etc. They provide clarifying information,

but they are not appropriately attached to a main clause or placed correctly within a

sentence. Often, beginning writers have a complete sentence and then realize they want to

add extra information that they write down in an incomplete sentence, leading to the

afterthought fragment:

Ex. Often, students need to plan better for more effective studying. For example, scheduling

several study sessions a week before the test.

The first sentence is complete. The second is an afterthought fragment.

Often, students need to plan better for more effective studying. For example, students can

schedule several study sessions a week before the test.