How to Avoid Sentence Fragments
by Kathleen M.
In order to avoid sentence fragments, you have to know what they are. And it is really pretty simple: a sentence fragment is a sentence which is missing one of its main parts – either the subject or verb.
The problem with missing one of these essential elements is that first of all it is incorrect, but additionally, a sentence fragment rarely makes sense on its own. Without one of the main elements, a sentence fragment can be unclear and confusing for the reader. And the presence of sentence fragments makes your essay rhythm very choppy.
Example:
A story of successes starting when you were a junior.
Revised:
In telling a story of successes starting when you were a junior, you should highlight achievements and offer specific details.
Example:
My first choice college offers many majors in business. Such as marketing, international business, management, operations, and finance.
Revised:
My first choice college offers many majors in business, such as marketing, international business, management, operations, and finance.
Remember that you are writing for a reader and that your reader only knows what you write.
Remember that when you are writing you often have ideas in your mind that might not make it to the document, and sometimes the ideas from one sentence do not connect to the next.
If sentence fragments are a problem for you, use the link below to read more about sentence fragments and to do some of the practice exercises.
As you work through the exercises, see what patterns you notice and devise a way to proofread your own writing for fragments so that you can avoid them in your own writing.
One technique you might use is to look at your sentence lengths. Often, sentence fragments are short. So if you want a quick way to check for fragments, identify all your short sentences. Once you have identified them, then verify they have both a subject and verb to avoid sentence fragments.
Resources:
“Sentence Fragments” – Purdue OWL
