A sentence fragment is a partial sentence that requires more information to be understood.Make sure your sentences have a subject, a verbs, and a stand-alone thought.If you find yourself using sentence fragments, you can correct them in your writing.It will be easier for your audience to comprehend your work.
Step 1: You should start your sentence with a capital letter.
The first letter of your sentence should be capitalized.Your reader will know a new thought is starting.
Step 2: A subject and a verbs are used.
The subject of your sentence should be performing an action or state of being.The sentence can include more than the basics, but it must have these two essential elements.Men, women, animals, concepts, emotions, and areas of study could all be subjects.Jump, swim, hit, flip, come, and is are all verbs.The subject-verb sentences are: He jumps.She swims.The dog is moving.I am.There is no longer sadness.Science is not easy to understand.
Step 3: With your sentence, express a complete idea.
Provide any additional information you need to make sense standing alone.A complete sentence doesn't rely on information outside the sentence to express a thought.”Art crosses” has both a subject and a verbs, but it doesn't make sense as a complete thought.The complete idea could be, "art crosses socio-economic boundaries."
Step 4: A period, exclamation point, or question mark is used to close the sentence.
Final punctuation is used to end your sentence.The type of sentence you are writing will affect the reader's perception of the sentence.The thought the sentence expresses is complete.
Step 5: There is a subject without a word.
If you read your sentence aloud, you can see if there is a verbs in it.A concrete action or state of being that the subject performs is what you are looking for.The sentence is a fragment if you only include a subject.The pretty girl and audacious concept are examples of sentence fragments that include a subject but no verbs.The audacious concept took me by surprise.
Step 6: Don't look for a subject.
Your sentence should be scanned for a topic.A fragment is an action or state of being without a person, place, concept, or thing executing it.A subject would help complete sentences such as: "I am completing the test" and "She jumps in the river."
Step 7: The words stand alone as a complete thought.
If someone walked up to you and said these words, would you need more information?Would it add up or would you wait for more information?A complete sentence makes sense on its own.You would wonder what exactly was sharp if someone came up to you and said, "Which is very sharp."Substitute a subject for the word which.You would wonder what the person was explaining if they said, "Because I can't go."You could complete the thought by preceding the fragment with more information.For example, "I'm sad because I can't go" will often hide near complete, closely related sentences.
Step 8: You can join the fragment to the neighboring sentence.
The information you are missing is supplied by a neighboring sentence.If you end a sentence before it's complete, a fragment is created.It is possible to provide missing detail to finish a thought that doesn't stand on its own.I need to go to the farm.Because I promised I would pick up eggs, the first sentence is complete.The second sentence is a fragment because it doesn't express a complete thought.If you join the two sentences into one complete sentence, you can resolve the fragment.I promised to pick up eggs, so I need to go to the farm.
Step 9: Add the missing subject to the fragment.
Take note of any fragments with missing subjects.Your idea can be understood on its own if you add or clarify the subject of your sentence.Adding a subject completes the sentence and creates a stand-alone thought.My fear of heights makes my love for hiking weird.
Step 10: Add the missing word to the fragment.
Add one of the missing sentence fragments to complete the thought.For example, the state of being can be an action that your subject carries out.The fragment "Scared dogs in their kennels" is a good example.The dogs are acting or existing in their space with the addition of a verb.The scared dogs cowered.