CHAPTER THREE
Correcting Sentence Fragments
End marks—periods, question marks, or exclamation points—separate grammatical units that are complete sentences. To be complete grammatically, a sentence needs both a subject and a predicate. A grammatically incomplete unit starting with a capital letter or a subordinating word and closing with an end mark is called a sentence fragment. Fragments are serious errors in writing. They distract or confuse the reader, and they suggest that the writer has been careless or does not understand the structure of a sentence.
In the following sentence fragments, the writer incorrectly makes an incomplete word group look like a sentence by using a capital letter for the first word and by placing a period after the last.
Through lively interviews and dramatic scenes.
And tried the hot tamales.
Watching ducks on the lake.
If they have empty home lives.
Who by that time had begun to get over their guilt feelings about Vietnam.
You can easily spot sentence fragments when they appear in isolation as these fragments do. But when a fragment is buried in surrounding sentences, you may have trouble seeing it and correcting it.
(A) Television brings current events to life. (B) Through lively interviews and dramatic scenes. (C) Newscasts flood our homes with interesting people and far-off places.
As a prepositional phrase, the fragment—(B)—contains neither a subject nor a predicate. The writer assumed that the subject and verb in (A), television brings, or in (C), newscasts flood, could serve (B) as well. Standing alone as it does, however, (B) is a fragment.
(A) We visited a new Mexican restaurant downtown. (B) And tried the hot tamales. (C) They burned my mouth for a week.
The fragment—(B)—is the second part of a compound predicate begun in (A). The writer is trying to say “we visited and tried.” Without its own subject, though, (B) is a fragment.
(A) On Sundays in May at Marjorie Post Park everyone relaxes. (B) Watching ducks on the lake. (C) Men and women sit everywhere beneath the flowering dogwoods and chat idly in the afternoon sun.
Although the participial phrase—(B)—contains a word that looks like a verb, the present participle “watching” cannot serve as a complete verb without the aid of an auxiliary, or helping, verb. In addition, (B) has no subject, although the writer probably believed the subject in (A), everyone, or the subject in (C), men and women, would serve. But because it contains neither its own subject nor its own predicate, (B) is a fragment.
(A) Unhappy teenagers can become runaways. (B) If they have empty home lives. (C) Escape at any cost may be attractive, even if it means being broke and alone.
Fragment (B) has a subject and a predicate, but the subordinator “if” at the beginning makes the clause dependent on another clause, which is not present in the group of words here begun by a capital letter and ended by a period. Dependent clause (B) could be attached to the sentence before it—(A)—or to the sentence after it—(C). But as it stands, (B) is a fragment—perhaps because the writer had some trouble deciding whether to tack it on at the end of the previous sentence or to put it at the beginning of the next sentence.
(A) The capture of the American embassy in Iran by fanatical “students” angered Americans. (B) Who by that time had begun to get over their guilt feelings about Vietnam. (C) And the taking of American hostages created a new surge of patriotism across the United States.
Unit (B) is a relative clause, which must be embedded in a complete sentence. The writer intends the relative clause to modify the noun “Americans” in (A). But to take part in a grammatically complete sentence, a relative clause must be attached to an independent clause that it modifies.
FRAGMENT
During her stay. She would like to see Michelangelo’s David.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
During her stay, she would like to see Michelangelo’s David.
“During her stay” is a prepositional phrase.
FRAGMENT
Florence is the home of the Uffizi Gallery. One of the world’s great art museums.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
Florence is the home of the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s great art museums.
“...one of the world’s great art museums” is an appositive phrase.
FRAGMENT
To see the Renaissance frescoes and sculpture. That is what Harriet wants to do.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
Harriet wants to see the Renaissance frescoes and sculpture.
“...to see the Renaissance frescoes and sculpture” is an infinitive phrase.
FRAGMENT
Harriet should also visit the cathedral. Located in the heart of the city.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
Harriet should also visit the cathedral, located in the heart of the city.
“...located in the heart of the city” is a participial phrase.
FRAGMENT
Climbing to the top of the cathedral. That requires great energy.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
Climbing to the top of the cathedral requires great energy.
“Climbing to the top of the cathedral” is a gerund phrase.
FRAGMENT
Many famous Renaissance artists worked on the Duomo. Which features a dome designed by Brunelleschi.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
Many famous Renaissance artists worked on the Duomo, which features a dome designed by Brunelleschi.
“...which features a dome designed by Brunelleschi” is a subordinate clause.
FRAGMENT
Before she leaves Florence. Harriet should be sure to see the bronze baptistry doors by Ghiberti.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
Before she leaves Florence, Harriet should be sure to see the bronze baptistry doors by Ghiberti.
“Before she leaves Florence” is a subordinate clause.
FRAGMENT
The Renaissance, leaving its mark on Florence.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
The Renaissance left its mark on Florence.
rewording
FRAGMENT
The city, which is a mecca for art lovers.
COMPLETE SENTENCE
The city is a mecca for art lovers.
rewording
a Correct sentence fragments by making them into complete sentences.
No handbook can give a complete set of rules for converting sentence fragments into sentences, but the following examples show some typical problems and some ways to remedy them.
1 Join the fragment to the sentence that comes before it.
Fragment: Television brings current events to life. Through lively interviews and dramatic scenes.
Corrected: Television brings current events to life through lively interviews and dramatic scenes.
The prepositional phrase “through lively interviews and dramatic scenes” completes the meaning of the independent clause; the independent clause and the prepositional phrase can be easily joined in a complete sentence.
Fragment: (A) Jean Rhys’s Good Morning, Midnight is a novel about Sasha Jansen. (B) A lonely woman in Paris. (C) She searches desperately for escape from a dismal past.
As an appositive, the fragment—(B)—depends for its meaning on sentence (A) or (C). However, lacking a subject, a verb, and a clear meaning on its own, (B) as it stands is incomplete.
Corrected: Jean Rhys’s Good Morning, Midnight is a novel about Sasha Jansen, a lonely woman in Paris.
The appositive is joined to the previous independent clause by a comma.
Fragment: We visited a Mexican restaurant downtown. And tried the hot tamales.
Corrected: We visited a Mexican restaurant downtown and tried the hot tamales.
The verbs “visited” and “tried” make a compound predicate for the subject “We.” The fragment “and tried the hot tamales” is easily joined to the sentence before it.
Fragment: On Sundays in May at Marjorie Post Park everyone can relax. Watching ducks on the lake.
Corrected: On Sundays in May at Marjorie Post Park everyone can relax, watching ducks on the lake.
The participial phrase “watching ducks on the lake” can be attached to the previous sentence; the phrase becomes a free modifier.
Fragment: Unhappy teenagers can become runaways. If they have empty home lives.
Corrected: Unhappy teenagers can become runaways if they have empty home lives.
The subordinate clause “if they have empty home lives” cannot stand by itself, but it can be joined to the independent clause preceding it.
Fragment: The song “John Henry” tells the story of a man trying to save his job against a machine. An effort that killed him.
Corrected: The song “John Henry” tells the story of a man trying to save his job against a machine—an effort that killed him.
The dash joins the fragment to the previous sentence, and the fragment becomes an appositive. The dash adds emphasis to the appositive.
2 Correct a fragment by adding it to the beginning of the sentence that follows the fragment.
Fragment: Watching ducks glide across the lake. Men and women sit everywhere beneath the flowering dogwoods and talk softly under the afternoon sun.
Corrected: Watching ducks glide across the lake, men and women sit everywhere beneath the flowering dogwoods and talk softly under the afternoon sun.
The fragment “watching ducks glide across the lake” is joined to the sentence after it and becomes a participial phrase modifying the subject “men and women.”
Fragment: If they have empty home lives. Escape at any cost may be attractive to some teenagers, even if it means being broke and alone.
Corrected: If they have empty home lives, escape at any cost may be attractive to some teenagers, even if it means being broke and alone.
The fragment “if they have empty home lives” becomes, in the corrected version, an adverbial clause opening the sentence and modifying the verb phrase “may be.”
Fragment: (A) William L. Shirer wanted to travel the country beyond Iowa. (B) To see firsthand the people in the rest of Middle America. (C) He joined a tent crew for a road company of speakers, artists, and musicians.
Although the subject and predicate in (A), William L. Shirer wanted, or in (C), he joined, may seem logically to serve in (B) to make it stand as a complete sentence, the fragment demands its own subject and predicate. The verbal unit in (B) is an infinitive phrase.
Corrected: William L. Shirer wanted to travel the country beyond Iowa. To see firsthand the people in the rest of Middle America, he joined a tent crew for a road company of speakers, artists, and musicians.
[The infinitive phrase now opens the sentence that comes after it.]
Fragment: (A) My mother and I sound alike. (B) Whenever I answer the telephone. (C) Her friends mistake me for her.
As a subordinate clause, the fragment, (B), despite its close relation in meaning to neighboring sentences, cannot stand as a grammatically complete unit. The fragment does contain a subject and a verb, but the subordinator “whenever” makes a connection to an independent clause necessary.
Corrected: My mother and I sound alike. Whenever I answer the telephone, her friends mistake me for her.
The subordinate clause now opens the second sentence.
Your intended meaning determines whether you connect a fragment to the sentence before or to the sentence after. Sometimes neither one of these options will produce a sentence that makes sense and pleases stylistically.
3 Correct a fragment by adding or removing words to convert it into a complete sentence or by changing the wording of the fragment itself.
Fragment: On Sundays in May at Marjorie Post Park everyone can relax. Watching ducks on the lake.
Corrected: On Sundays in May at Marjorie Post Park everyone can relax. Children enjoy watching ducks on the lake.
“Children,” a subject, and “enjoy,” a verb, have been added to the fragment to make a complete sentence and to change the emphasis somewhat.
or
On Sundays in May at Marjorie Post Park everyone can relax. Children watch ducks on the lake.
Now the participle “watching” has been changed to a simple verb, watch, in the present tense, and a subject, children, has been added.
Fragment: Old Mr. Warren is outdoors this afternoon. Working in his rose garden.
Corrected by Adding Words: Old Mr. Warren is outdoors this afternoon. Unlike all the young people who have fled to the beach, he is working in his rose garden.
Fragment: He wrote to his mother every day. Which no one could understand.
Corrected by Adding Words: He wrote to his mother every day. This was a devotion which no one could understand.
Fragment: Although she worked at a tiresome job driving a cab all day long, she studied long hours at night. Because she wanted with all her heart to become an architect.
Corrected by Eliminating a Word: Although she worked at a tiresome job driving a cab all day long, she studied long hours at night. She wanted with all her heart to become an architect.
Exercise 1. Find the fourteen fragments in the following selection. Correct each one by adding it to an adjacent sentence, by adding words to it, or by removing words from it. Be sure that each sentence has a subject and a predicate.
We knew him as heavyweight boxing champion of the world. A joking, mocking, happy showman. He wrote poems about his foes. Bad poems. But they made people laugh. Paying attention. He bragged about himself in a sport. Where the athletes supposed to be humble. Not telling the world how good they are. But he was good. Maybe the best fighter in boxing history. Now he no longer heavyweight champion. He writes no more poems. On television speaks slowly. Hesitates. Looks puzzled and hurt. Fighting kills the brain of people who take too many blows to the head. He not now what he used to be. No one cheers for him anymore. His glory gone with the wind. People who made money off him gone too. They took all he gave them. And went away.
Exercise 2. Find the fifteen fragments in the following selection. Correct each one by adding it to an adjacent sentence, by adding words to it, or by removing words from it.
Looking weak and red above the housetops to the southwest. The sun seemed to sink wearily toward the horizon at the end of a January day. The red liquid in the thermometer just outside my window standing at zero degrees. Snow piled deep in the street. The world looking shut up and very still. There was not a cloud in the sky. As the sun sank out of sight. The color of the sky turned slowly dark. Looking like a dome of ice. The world was a giant igloo. Remembering summer. We thought we were remembering dreams. Because it seemed impossible that we had ever walked in these streets with our bare feet. Or in our shirtsleeves without layers and layers of warm clothing. That we had sat in Fenway Park in the open air at night, sipping cold drinks and watching the Red Sox play baseball. Summer a myth. A lost world. It seemed something that never was. Something that would never come again.
Exercise 3. The following paragraphs contain sentence fragments. On your paper, rewrite the paragraphs, eliminating the sentence fragments.
SAMPLE Some Renaissance art patrons gained immortality. Not for who they were, but for who gathered around them.
ANSWER Some Renaissance art patrons gained immortality not for who they were, but for who gathered around them.
Isabella d’Este was one of the greatest. Renaissance patrons of the arts. Born in 1474. To the noblest family of Ferrara, Italy. As a girl, she was instructed. By some of Italy’s greatest teachers. To have received such an education then. That was extremely unusual for a girl. By the time she married, at 16. She already was recognized as a cultured woman. During her life. Isabella displayed great diplomatic skill. This skill she applied in the service of her city. Helping to keep it one of the most powerful in Italy.
Yet Isabella’s name would long ago have faded into oblivion. Except for one thing: She attracted to her court the greatest geniuses of the Renaissance. To have her portrait done by both Leonardo da Vinci and Titian. That was a kind of immortality in itself. Appearing, and sometimes living, at her court. There were many other outstanding artists, musicians, and writers. By all accounts, her intelligence and taste. They were as responsible for this gathering of greatness as her wealth and power.
Isabella gave her respect and her patronage. To such people as Leonardo. Through them, she gained a name. That still echoes down the centuries. You are reading about her, after all. More than 500 years after she was born.
b Learn to recognize the words and phrases at sentence beginnings that can trap writers into producing fragments.
When you use present and past participles, infinitives, or certain adverbs, connectives, and subordinators as sentence openers, you may trap yourself into producing an incomplete sentence. If you check carefully when you proofread for words in these groups at the beginnings of your sentences, you may spot unwanted fragments.
Present participles are verb forms ending in -ing, such as singing, running, speaking, trying, shouting, working, flying, etc.
Fragment: Running wildly in the hills. The stallion looked untamed and beautiful and somehow ghostly.
Corrected: Running wildly in the hills, the stallion looked untamed and beautiful and somehow ghostly.
The sentence opening, a participial phrase, is joined to a complete sentence and modifies the subject, stallion.
Past participles are verb forms ending in -ed, t, d, or -n, such as dressed, faded, hurt, driven, etc.
Fragment: The toast popped up. Burned black as coal. It looked like a piece of volcanic rock.
Corrected: The toast popped up, burned black as coal.
The participial phrase “burned black as coal” is a fragment that in the corrected version becomes a modifier describing the subject, toast.
Corrected: The toast popped up. Burned black as coal, it looked like a piece of volcanic rock.
In this version, the fragment has been added on to the beginning of the next sentence so that it becomes a modifier describing the pronoun “it.”
Corrected: The toast popped up. It was burned black as coal.
In this version, the subject “it” and the helping verb “was” have been added to the beginning of the fragment to convert it into a complete sentence.
Infinitives are verb forms introduced by the word “to,” which is called the infinitive marker. Infinitives include such forms as to pay, to scream, to study, and to eat. Like participles and participial phrases, they express action vividly and sometimes seem so strong that writers may think them capable of standing alone as sentences.
Fragment: The mayor spoke forcefully. To convince her audience of the need for tax reform.
Corrected: The mayor spoke forcefully to convince her audience of the need for tax reform.
The infinitive phrase contains the purpose of the mayor’s speech. But it must be joined grammatically to the preceding sentence if it is to be a part of a complete statement.
Corrected: The mayor spoke forcefully. She worked hard to convince her audience of the need for tax reform.
Here words including a subject, she, and a verb, worked, are added to the beginning of the fragment to convert it into a complete sentence.
Adverbs, subordinators, and connecting words and phrases that often begin fragments include also, as well as, especially, for example, for instance, just, like, mainly, and such as. In speaking we often use fragments along with adverbs and connecting words, but when we write, we must be sure that adverbs and connecting words or phrases lead into complete sentences. Otherwise our readers will be confused.
Fragment: An individual spectrum exists for each element. For example, hydrogen. It has a red, a blue-green, and a green line.
Corrected: An individual spectrum exists for each element. For example, hydrogen has a red, a blue-green, and a green line.
In the corrected version, the fragment joins the independent clause that follows it. The word “hydrogen” replaces the original subject “It,” which is deleted.
Fragment: Vegetarians should supplement their diets with high-protein food. Like wheat germ and bean curd.
Corrected: Vegetarians should supplement their diets with high-protein food like wheat germ and bean curd.
The fragment joins the complete sentence that precedes it.
Subordinators that may lead writers into making sentence fragments include subordinating conjunctions, such as as long as, after, although, as, as if, as soon as, because, before, wherever, once, while, how, provided, if, since, so that, though, unless, until, when, where, and whether, and relative pronouns, such as what, which, who, whoever, whose, whom, whomever, whatever, and that.
Fragment: The University Government Association gives students a voice in making policy. Because they too should influence the university administration in matters of academic, social, and cultural welfare.
Corrected: The University Government Association gives students a voice in making policy because they too should influence the university administration in matters of academic, social, and cultural welfare.
In the corrected version, the subordinate clause is added to the end of the complete sentence in the first version.
Fragment: In Astoria in the late 1800s, an important community figure was August Frederick Geipel. Whose saloon on Newton Road was a social center for German families in Queens.
Corrected: In Astoria in the late 1800s, an important community figure was August Frederick Geipel, whose saloon on Newton Road was a social center for German families in Queens.
In the corrected version, the relative clause introduced by “whose” is joined to the independent clause to make a complex sentence.
Fragment: Every winter morning he exercised by jogging behind his two pet hounds. That ran ahead of him, barking and panting, and looking almost terrifying.
Corrected: Every winter morning he exercised by jogging behind his two pet hounds that ran ahead of him, barking and panting, and looking almost terrifying.
The word “that,” normally a demonstrative pronoun, may serve as the subject of its own independent clause: “That was exactly what he wanted.” In the fragment above, however, “that” is a relative pronoun. The clause it introduces is an adjective modifying “hounds”. As you see in the corrected version, the relative clause is now connected grammatically to an independent clause.
Participles, infinitives, connectives, and subordinators make strong sentence openers, but you must give those words special attention at sentence beginnings to avoid fragments.
c Examine drafts carefully for sentence fragments.
Check papers for incomplete sentences by following these suggestions:
1 Read your sentences aloud, or get a friend to read them aloud to you.
Distinguish between the pause that a speaker may make for emphasis and the grammatical pause marked off by a period, a question mark, an exclamation point, or a semicolon.
2 Read your paper backward, from the last sentence to the first, or have a friend read the paper aloud in that way to you.
You may then judge the completeness of each sentence unit apart from the context. Stop after you read each sentence and ask, Is it complete? Does it make a complete statement or ask a complete question?
3 Check for subjects and predicates.
Every complete sentence must have at least one subject and one predicate.
4 Look with particular care at sentences that begin with present and past participles, connective words and phrases, and subordinators.
According to sentence logic and to your own stylistic tastes, take one of these steps:
1. Connect the fragment to the sentence before or after, making the choice that makes more sense.
2. Add a new subject, a new verb, or both, and add any other words that will help you make the fragment into a complete sentence.
3. Remove any words that keep the fragment from being a complete sentence.
4. Make a present or past participle into a verb by adding a helping verb such as am, is, are, was, or were before the participle or by changing the participle into a correct verb form.
5. When necessary, add a subject to the fragment to convert it into a complete sentence.
Fragment: Running away.
present participle
Corrected: She is running away.
or
She runs away.
Fragment: Flown above the city.
past participle
Corrected: The tiny aircraft has flown above the city.
or
The tiny aircraft flew above the city.
6. Change an infinitive to a verb by removing “to” and by using the correct form of the verb. Or you can sometimes use like, likes, want, wants, plan, plans, try, tries, am, is, or are before the infinitive. Sometimes you will have to add a subject to fragments using an infinitive.
Fragment: To watch the sun rise over San Francisco Bay.
Corrected: He watches the sun rise over San Francisco Bay.
or
He likes to watch the sun rise over San Francisco Bay.
or
We are to watch the sun rise over San Francisco Bay.
7. Make any necessary changes in the wording of the fragment to convert it into a complete sentence.
d Recognize acceptable uses of sentence fragments.
Although most formal writing requires complete sentences, sentence fragments occasionally can achieve some special effects. Writers of fiction regularly use fragments to record dialogue, since when we speak, we often use incomplete sentences. However, the context always makes the meaning of the fragment clear.
Jean leaned back, her hands clasped round a knee, looking at the water below them. “I came to a decision last night, Dan.” It was unexpected, and he glanced at her. “Yes?” She shrugged. “Nothing momentous. But I think I’ll definitely try for a teacher training course when I get home. If I can find a place.”
John Fowles
I had a sudden mad impulse to pack my bags and get away from both of them. Maybe it wasn’t a question of choosing between them but just of escaping both entirely. Released in my own custody. Stop this nonsense of running from one man to the next. Stand on my own two feet for once.
Erica Jong
Fragments may appear in nonfiction, especially when the writer is striving for an informal, conversational effect.
But such was Autry’s impact that even the action-all-the-way Cowboys had to have somebody in their films who could sing a few cowboy songs while the hero stood around listening and tapping his foot. Charles Starrett was good enough not to need any yodelers slowing up his action. But you couldn’t buck the fashion. Anyway, Dick Weston did not exactly stop the show. And never would if he went on calling himself Dick Weston. The name was definitely not a bell ringer. No matter how many times you said it. It would never do for the Cowboy-Hero being groomed to challenge Gene Autry. It made him sound like a newsboy. It was too blah. They decided to call him Roy Rogers at Republic. And gave him his own horse to sing to.
James Horwitz
Questions and exclamations often have impact when written as fragments. To call attention to an idea, writers can use fragments effectively.
American culture? Wealth is visible, and so, now, is poverty. Both have become intimidating clichйs. But the rest?
Peter Schrag
The broadcaster is casually describing a routine landing of the giant gas bag. Suddenly he sees something. A flash of flame! An instant later the whole thing explodes.
John Houseman
Whatever economic sanctions can achieve will be duly tested. A semblance of Western resolve has been temporarily achieved. At a considerable price.
The New York Times
Although they can be acceptable, as these examples show, fragments are still rare in the expository writing you will do in college. Use them carefully, and do not use them often. In writing for your courses, when you write a fragment, you may even want to mark it as such with an asterisk and a note at the bottom of the page. This will assure your teacher that you have made a deliberate choice and not a mistake.
Exercise 4. Identify the fragments in the following passages. Then explain why you think each writer used a fragment instead of a complete sentence. If you wanted to avoid the fragment, what would you do?
1. Mr. Fitzgerald and his wife, Kathy Fitzgerald, realized that if their hopes for filming the script were to be realized, they would need more help. Which they got in the form of Tom Shaw, a well known production manager and old friend of John Huston, who left a big-budget Barbra Streisand picture to take charge of Wise Blood.
Linda Charlton
2. But how many women can name marriage itself as a source of our turbulence? More often than not, we were the ones who most wanted to get married. Besides, if not marriage, what do we want? Divorce? That is too fearsome.
Nancy Friday
3. Milan is quite an attractive little city. A nice cathedral, The Last Supper, a very glamorous train station built by Mussolini, La Scala, and many other enjoyable sights.
Fran Lebowitz
4. There have been three views about the purpose of art. First that it aims simply at imitation; second that it should influence human conduct; and third that it should produce a kind of exalted happiness.
Kenneth Clark
5. Style is not the man, yet its presence or absence is part of the man. Which part? Not so easily pinned down, to take a trope from tailoring, yet the clothes a man chooses or disdains, are important facets of him.
Joseph Epstein (Aristides)
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