{"id":197,"date":"2025-04-17T16:35:05","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T16:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/sentence-fragments\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T17:06:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T17:06:27","slug":"sentence-fragments","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/sentence-fragments\/","title":{"raw":"Complete Sentences: Learn It 1","rendered":"Complete Sentences: Learn It 1"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Recognize sentence fragments<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Revise sentence fragments<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Recognize run-on sentences<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Revise run-on sentences<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section><section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\" aria-label=\"Key Takeaway\">\r\n<h3>sentence fragments<\/h3>\r\nA\u00a0<strong>sentence fragment<\/strong>\u00a0is a grammatically incomplete sentence\u2014one that lacks a necessary component and cannot stand alone. To determine whether a sentence is complete, ask:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Does it have a subject?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Does it have a verb?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Does it express a complete thought?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Types of Sentence Fragments<\/h2>\r\nLet\u2019s explore common types of sentence fragments and how to fix them.\r\n<h3><strong>Missing a Subject<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nA sentence must have a subject\u2014the person or thing performing the action.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Fragment:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Slammed the door and left.<\/em>What\u2019s missing? Who slammed the door?<strong>Corrected:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Suleika slammed the door and left.<\/em><\/section>As you\u2019re identifying fragments, keep in mind that command sentences are not fragments, despite not having a subject.\u00a0<strong>Commands<\/strong>\u00a0are the only grammatically correct sentences that lack a subject because the subject is implied.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><em>Drop and give me fifty!<\/em>\u00a0(<em>You<\/em>\u00a0drop and give me fifty.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em>Count how many times the word \u201cfragrant\u201d is used during commercial breaks.<\/em>\u00a0(<em>You<\/em>\u00a0count how many times the word \u201cfragrant\u201d is used.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3><strong>Missing a Verb<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nA sentence must have a verb that expresses an action or state of being.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Fragment:<\/strong> A loud crash in the hallway.What's missing? There\u2019s no verb to explain what happened with the crash.<strong>Corrected:<\/strong> A loud crash in the hallway startled everyone.<\/section>\r\n<h3><strong>Incomplete Thought<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nSome fragments have a subject and a verb but fail to express a complete idea.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Fragment:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Since she never saw the movie.<\/em>What happened as a result?<strong>Corrected:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><em>Since she never saw the movie, I told her about it.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li><em>I told her about the movie since she never saw it.<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Sentence Length<\/h2>\r\nNote that sentence length does not determine whether it is a fragment. A sentence fragment isn\u2019t always short, and a complete sentence isn\u2019t always long.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Complete sentence (short but correct):<\/strong>\r\n<em>She ran.<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Subject:<\/strong>\u00a0She<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Verb:<\/strong>\u00a0ran<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Fragment (long but incorrect):<\/strong>\r\n<em>Which is why we believe the proposed amendments should be passed.<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What is \u201cwhich\u201d referring to? The sentence is incomplete.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>Sentence fragments can be tricky, but recognizing missing components\u2014subjects, verbs, or complete thoughts\u2014will help you correct them. Try identifying fragments in your writing and revising them into complete sentences.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">[ohm2_question]40578[\/ohm2_question][ohm2_question]40579[\/ohm2_question]\r\n\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Recognize sentence fragments<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Revise sentence fragments<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Recognize run-on sentences<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Revise run-on sentences<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\" aria-label=\"Key Takeaway\">\n<h3>sentence fragments<\/h3>\n<p>A\u00a0<strong>sentence fragment<\/strong>\u00a0is a grammatically incomplete sentence\u2014one that lacks a necessary component and cannot stand alone. To determine whether a sentence is complete, ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Does it have a subject?<\/li>\n<li>Does it have a verb?<\/li>\n<li>Does it express a complete thought?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Types of Sentence Fragments<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s explore common types of sentence fragments and how to fix them.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Missing a Subject<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A sentence must have a subject\u2014the person or thing performing the action.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Fragment:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Slammed the door and left.<\/em>What\u2019s missing? Who slammed the door?<strong>Corrected:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Suleika slammed the door and left.<\/em><\/section>\n<p>As you\u2019re identifying fragments, keep in mind that command sentences are not fragments, despite not having a subject.\u00a0<strong>Commands<\/strong>\u00a0are the only grammatically correct sentences that lack a subject because the subject is implied.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>Drop and give me fifty!<\/em>\u00a0(<em>You<\/em>\u00a0drop and give me fifty.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Count how many times the word \u201cfragrant\u201d is used during commercial breaks.<\/em>\u00a0(<em>You<\/em>\u00a0count how many times the word \u201cfragrant\u201d is used.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h3><strong>Missing a Verb<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A sentence must have a verb that expresses an action or state of being.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Fragment:<\/strong> A loud crash in the hallway.What&#8217;s missing? There\u2019s no verb to explain what happened with the crash.<strong>Corrected:<\/strong> A loud crash in the hallway startled everyone.<\/section>\n<h3><strong>Incomplete Thought<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Some fragments have a subject and a verb but fail to express a complete idea.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Fragment:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Since she never saw the movie.<\/em>What happened as a result?<strong>Corrected:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Since she never saw the movie, I told her about it.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>I told her about the movie since she never saw it.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Sentence Length<\/h2>\n<p>Note that sentence length does not determine whether it is a fragment. A sentence fragment isn\u2019t always short, and a complete sentence isn\u2019t always long.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\"><strong>Complete sentence (short but correct):<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>She ran.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Subject:<\/strong>\u00a0She<\/li>\n<li><strong>Verb:<\/strong>\u00a0ran<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Fragment (long but incorrect):<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Which is why we believe the proposed amendments should be passed.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is \u201cwhich\u201d referring to? The sentence is incomplete.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>Sentence fragments can be tricky, but recognizing missing components\u2014subjects, verbs, or complete thoughts\u2014will help you correct them. Try identifying fragments in your writing and revising them into complete sentences.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm40578\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=40578&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm40578&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm40579\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=40579&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm40579&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"menu_order":26,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Revision, Adaptation, and Original Content\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Punctuation: Commas\",\"author\":\"David McMurrey\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.prismnet.com\/~hcexres\/textbook\/gram1.html\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Sentence Fragments Activity\",\"author\":\"Excelsior OWL\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/writing-refresher\/grammar-refresher\/sentence-fragments\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Recognizing Fragments\",\"author\":\"Khan Academy\",\"organization\":\"Khan Academy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/humanities\/grammar\/syntax-conventions-of-standard-english\/fragments-and-run-ons\/v\/recognizing-fragments-syntax-khan-academy\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube license\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":180,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"original","description":"Revision, Adaptation, and Original Content","author":"","organization":"Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"cc","description":"Punctuation: Commas","author":"David McMurrey","organization":"","url":"https:\/\/www.prismnet.com\/~hcexres\/textbook\/gram1.html","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"cc","description":"Sentence Fragments Activity","author":"Excelsior OWL","organization":"","url":"https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/writing-refresher\/grammar-refresher\/sentence-fragments\/","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"copyrighted_video","description":"Recognizing Fragments","author":"Khan Academy","organization":"Khan Academy","url":"https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/humanities\/grammar\/syntax-conventions-of-standard-english\/fragments-and-run-ons\/v\/recognizing-fragments-syntax-khan-academy","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":"Standard YouTube license"}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/197"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3262,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/197\/revisions\/3262"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/180"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/197\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=197"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=197"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}