Sentence Fragments
A sentence fragment is a piece of a sentence, not a complete thought. Remember, a sentence must contain a subject and a verb, and it must make sense by itself. Here are three fragments:
- After John and Julie saw the way their daughter was dancing at the prom.
- Feeling a lot like an inflated Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.
- Something I had wanted to say to her for a long time.
To correct a fragment, add what is missing (a subject and/or a verb):
- After John and Julie saw the way their daughter was dancing at the prom, they grounded her for a year.
- I ate so much at dinner that I felt a lot like an inflated Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.
- That was something I had wanted to say to her for a long time.
Many fragments can be fixed by linking the incomplete group of words to a nearby sentence, or by adding words to create a complete thought.
Incorrect (three sentence fragments):
Technology has definitely changed human behavior. But not always in positive ways. Cell phone usage in public spaces and during social situations is now accepted by many people. Thinking they aren’t being rude. Even though it has become normal to hold both digital and face-to-face conversations simultaneously. Some users are making a conscious effort to minimize this kind of “self-splitting,” as MIT professor Sherry Turkle calls it (58).
Corrected (fragments are fixed):
Technology has definitely changed human behavior but not always in positive ways. Cell phone usage in public spaces and during social situations is now accepted by many people who think they aren’t being rude. Even though it has become normal to hold both digital and face-to-face conversations simultaneously, some users are making a conscious effort to minimize this kind of “self-splitting,” as MIT professor Sherry Turkle calls it (58).
Run-on Sentences
A run-on sentence keeps on going when it should stop. Without the proper punctuation, having more than one thought jammed together will produce a run-on sentence:
- The Pueblo cliff dwellings of northern New Mexico served as winter residences they could accommodate large families.
- Some students study every night, others study only when they have to.
To correct a run-on sentence, you have multiple options ( see page 18 ):
Create two sentences:
- The Pueblo cliff dwellings of northern New Mexico served as winter residences. They could accommodate large families.
Join the two thoughts with a coordinating conjunction (and, so, but, etc.):
- Some students study every night, but others study only when they have to.
Link the ideas with a subordinating conjunction (because, if, when, although, etc.):
- The Pueblo cliff dwellings of northern New Mexico served as winter residences because they could accommodate large families.
Add a semi-colon alone, or add a semi-colon with a transitional word:
- Some students study every night; others study only when they have to.
- Some students study every night; however , others study only when they have to.
