Most
people don't know a sentence fragment if it comes up and bites them
in the face. What makes a fragment? To explain that, I need to
explain what a sentence is.
A
sentence is a complete thought expressed with a Subject (someone who
does something) and a Verb (the action the subject takes)
I
sit.
You
run.
He
eats.
Though
short, these are complete thoughts. They are sentences. Fragments are
hard to spot. They may seem to express a full thought, but some
element is missing. Fragments aren't necessarily short. What
classifies them as a fragment is that they are missing one of the key
elements – subject or verb.
I
see these posts on Facebook a lot— “That moment when I realize
I've just written a fragment.”
On
the surface, this looks like a sentence, but it's not.
This is my sentence:
I
realize I've just written a fragment.
This is what makes it a fragment:
That
moment when
This is a dependent
clause. They're sneaky buggers that attach themselves to
sentences and make them look like they are legitimate compound
sentences (where you take 2 sentences & combine them) Dependent
clauses have to be correctly attached in order to make a
proper sentence.
That
moment when isn't a complete
thought. It could go anywhere. There are too many variables here.
That's what a fragment is – an incomplete thought, a dependent
clause with too many
variables. It needs a subject and verb.
“But
wait!” you say. “I see a subject and verb right there I
realize I've just written a fragment.
That's all kinds of verbs and I
is obviously the subject. Why is it wrong?”
It's
wrong because That moment when
can't make sense on its own. Rather than adding to the sentence like
a compound would, it attaches itself and makes a fragment of the
whole business.
To correct a fragment, you need
to add a subject or verb to the broken half. In the case of our
sample fragment, the cure is simple.
It
is that moment when I realize I've just written a fragment.
Or
This is that moment when I realize I've just
written a fragment.
Now,
we have a properly crafted sentence. It is that moment
is a complete thought. True, it's not a very expressive sentence on
its own, which is why we add it to the second have using when
to connect them.
This
is that moment when I realize I've just written a correct sentence.
Fragments aren't always easy to
spot. If you're not sure about whether something is a fragment or
not, do this simple test. Divide the sentence at the joining word
(conjunction). If the two halves can stand on their own, present a
complete thought and have a subject and verb, you have a sentence. If
they can't stand alone, you have a fragment. Look for alternative
ways to word the sentence so it's no longer a fragment. Often, the
solution is a simple one.
© Dellani Oakes
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1 comment:
Fragments are a weak point for me. Thanks.
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