RECOGNIZING FRAGMENTS
1. Is there a VERB?(Test sentence: “I can ___.” OR “I ___.”)
YesNo = FRAG → Soln.: Add a verb
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Remember:gerunds (such as breaking, seeking,
finding) and infinitives (such as to break, to seek,
to find) doNOTfunction asmain verbs!
2. Is there a SUBJECT?(Test question: “Who/What ____ (does the verb?”)
YesNo = FRAG→ Soln.: Add a subject
↓
3. Is there a COMPLETE THOUGHT?
YesNo = FRAG → CORRECTION:
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Combine fragment with sentence
No fragment before/after it.
Rewrite sentence so it contains a
complete thought.
Add word/phrase or delete the
subordinating conjunction/pronoun.
Examples
For each sentence in the passage, underline the verb/verb phrase and box the subject. Check to see if the sentence is a fragment or if it is complete. If the sentence is a fragment, highlight it; then, correct the fragment so that the passage makes sense.
Browsing the Web has become a way of life, but some peoplethinkitis destroying a way of life. That wewill never recover. Our grandparents and parentsfeared that the age of television—starting with Howdy Doody and progressing through MTV and The Apprentice—would creategenerations of viewers who were content to sit for hours and hours. Passively watching imagesflit before their eyes. Cable television now offers far more passive entertainment than previous generationscould ever have imagined. Hundreds of channels and an endless supply of round-the-clock programming. The World Wide Webhas the potential to top even cable television’s reach. Making access to information easy and available to people anywhere in the world at any time.
Possible Corrections
Browsing the Web has become a way of life, but some peoplethinkitis destroying a way of life and that wewill never recover. Our grandparents and parentsfeared that the age of television—starting with Howdy Doody and progressing through MTV and The Apprentice—would creategenerations of viewers who were content to sit for hours and hours, passively watching imagesflit before their eyes. Cable television now offers far more passive entertainment than previous generationscould ever have imagined: hundreds of channels and an endless supply of round-the-clock programming. The World Wide Webhas the potential to top even cable television’s reach, making access to information easy and available to people anywhere in the world at any time.