This document discusses sentence fragments and how to identify and fix them. It defines a sentence fragment as an incomplete sentence that is missing a subject, verb, or complete idea. Examples of fragments are provided and fixed by adding subjects and verbs. There are three methods to fix fragments: attaching the fragment to another sentence, adding a subject or verb, or removing the fragment-causing phrase. Sentence fragments should generally be avoided in formal writing.

1. SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
Sohail Ahmed

2. WHAT IS A SENTENCE FRAGMENT?
A
fragment is a group of words that looks
like a sentence complete thought;
therefore, it is an incomplete sentence but
is missing a subject, a verb, or a complete
idea.
Sohail Ahmed
sentence fragment is a phrase or clause
that is punctuated as a sentence but is not
a grammatical sentence because it does
not express a complete thought.
A
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3. FOLLOWING ARE SOME EXAMPLES
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS.
OF
 1.
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In the car.
 2. With a brand-new hat.
 3. Running in the woods.
 4. Singing a song.
 5. At the party.
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4. SOLUTIONS TO SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
Notice that none of the five examples above
contains a specific action (or predicate)
 A person (or subject) to perform the action.
 To transform all five sentence fragments into
full-fledged sentences, then, all we need to
do is to add a subject and a predicate.
 Lets’ use the subject “I,” and the predicate “saw
him.”

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5. USE THE SUBJECT
“I,” AND THE PREDICATE
“SAW HIM.”
 1.
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I saw him in the car.
 2. I saw him with a brand-new hat.
 3. I saw him running in the woods.
 4. I saw him singing a song.
 5. I saw him at the party.
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6. OTHER SOLUTIONS

In the car I saw him.
 2. With a brand new hat I saw him.
 3. Running in the woods I saw him.
 4. Singing a song I saw him.
 5. At the party I saw him.
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Likewise, sentence fragments can be
transformed into a full-fledged sentence by
placing a subject and predicate on the other
side of the fragment, as in the following
examples:
 1.
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7. LETS INSPECT ELEMENTS OF SENTENCE


Verb:
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
A sentence consists of 3 components
Subject:
the person, place, or
thing performing or
doing the action
the action
Complete idea: the reader isn't left
waiting for another word
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8. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SENTENCE
Verb:
read
Complete Idea:
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Subject:
I read a book.
I
a book
The book is a direct object. Not all sentences
require a direct object.
Thus we can call it a complete Sentence
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9. TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER SENTENCE
Birds Fly.
birds
Verb:
fly
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Subject:
Is it a complete idea? Yes.
There is no direct object here; however, it is
still a complete idea and a good sentence.
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10. AN OTHER EXAMPLE
I take.
I
Verb:
Take
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Subject:
Is it a complete idea? NO.
This sentence requires a direct object. This
sentence is called a Sentence
Fragment.
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11. TRANSITIVE OR INTRANSITIVE VERB


If the verb does not need a direct object, it is
called an intransitive verb.
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
If the sentence requires a direct object, it is called
a transitive verb.
It is actually the verb which determines
whether the sentence requires a direct object
or not.
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12. SO! WHAT'S A SENTENCE FRAGMENT?
A
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sentence fragment is a sentence that
lacks a subject or lacks a verb or is not a
complete idea (one reason could be
because it does not have a direct object if
the verb needs one).
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13. HOW TO FIX SENTENCE FRAGMENTS?
There are three Methods to fix sentence fragments
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Method #1
Attach the sentence fragment to another
sentence. That other sentence could be before or
after the sentence fragment.
After getting money. {Sentence Fragment}
I bought a new dress after getting money.
{A Complete Sentence}
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14. HOW TO FIX SENTENCE FRAGMENTS?
“The person I hate most in life” {Sentence Fragment}
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Method #2
Add a subject, verb, or both to make the sentence
complete.
“Sonia is the person I hate most in life.”
{Complete Sentence}
“I saw the person I hate most in life.”
{Complete Sentence}
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15. HOW TO FIX SENTENCE FRAGMENTS?
While Sahil was in Paris. {Sentence fragment}
Sahil was in Paris.
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Method #3
Take away/Erase the word or phrase that makes it
a sentence fragment.
{Complete Sentence}
Because people do not believe in birth control.
{Sentence fragment}
People do not believe in birth control.
{Complete Sentence}
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16. RULES TO REMEMBER
Sentence fragments can make your writing very
confusing.
 Avoid sentence fragments in professional writing,
formal writing, essays, business letters, and
compositions.





Sentence fragments are written and acceptable in
the following types of writing:
Poetry
Quotes
Quoted speech
Plays
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
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17. SUGGESTION 
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Don’t Ask Questions Avoid
Sentence Fragments
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18. Sohail Ahmed
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