What Is a Fragment (Frag)?

What Is a Fragment (Frag)?

WWI Handout

What is a Fragment (frag)?

A group of words that is capitalized and punctuated as a sentence but it is not a sentence because it may

  • Lack a subject
  • Lack a verb
  • Lack both a subject and a verb
  • Be a dependent clause or phrase (begins with a subordinating word or preposition)

Dependent Clause/DEP: a clause that has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence

Independent Clause/IND: a clause that has a subject and a verb and can stand alone/a complete sentence

How to identify a dependent clause

They are introduced by subordinating word or relative pronoun (a dependent marker word) like these:

Common Subordinating Words/Dependent Clause Marker Words

Cause
as
because
in order that
since
so that / Concession and Comparison
although
as
as though
even though
just as
though
whereas
while
/ Condition
even if
if
in case
provided that
unless / Place
where
wherever / Time
after
as soon as
aslong as
before
once
still
till
when
whenever
while
until

Relative Pronouns/Dependent Clause Marker Words

who / whom / whose / which / that / what

You can also add "-ever?" to some of these and they are still relative pronouns.

Examples of Dependent Clauses

  • When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz . . . (What happened when he studied? The thought is incomplete.)
  • Whenever I go to the gym
  • Even though I really like you
  • That I took to Martha’s house yesterday

Dependent Marker Words

A dependent marker word is a word added to the beginning of an independent clause that makes it into a dependent clause.

  • When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz (dependent clause)
  • Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz. (Independent clause/complete sentence).

Phrases

A word group that makes sense but lacks a subject, a verb, or both

Cannot stand along as a sentence (phrases, like clauses, are fragments).

Prepositional Phrases: begin with a proposition and usually end in a noun or pronoun. Prepositional phrases usually function as adjectives or adverbs.

style

Examples of Prepositional Phrases:

Before we go to the store

In the middle of the room

Under the table

Sometimes we string multiple prepositional phrases together like this:

In the middle of the room with the dog

Remember that a prepositional phrase will never contain the subject of a sentence.

Sometimes a noun within the prepositional phrase seems the logical subject of a verb. Don't fall for that trick! You will never find the subject of the sentence in a prepositional phrase. Look at this example:

Neither of these cookbooks contains the recipe for Manhattan-style squid eyeball stew.

Cookbooks do indeed contain recipes. In this sentence, however, cookbooks is part of the prepositional phrase of these cookbooks. ‘Neither’ is the subject for the verb ‘contains.’

‘Neither’ is a singular subject, so you need the singular form of the verb, ‘contains.’

If you incorrectly identified ‘cookbooks’ as the subject, you might write ‘contain,’ the plural form, and thus commit a subject-verb agreement error.

Neither contains

Cookbooks contain

Other types of phrases (remember phrases cannot stand alone as a sentence)

Verbal Phrases

  • Singing very softly, the boy lulled his baby brother to sleep. (the participial phrase works as an adjective, modifying "boy")
  • The girls, frightened by the police car's headlights, quickly came down from the school's roof. (the participial phrase works as an adjective, modifying "girls")
  • Waiting for his grades drove him crazy. (the gerund phrase works as the subject of the verb "drove")
  • The woman denied knowing her own husband. (the gerund phrase works as the object of the verb "denied")
  • To live in Boston eventually is his main goal in life. (the infinitive phrase works as the subject of the sentence)
  • Quentin Tarentino loves to babble during interviews. (the infinitive phrase works as the object of the verb "loves")
  • Do you have any clothes to donate to the homeless shelter? (the infinitive phrase works as an adjective, modifying "clothes")

Comma Splices (CS) and Fused Sentences or Run Ons (RO)

CS: occurs when two or more independent clauses follow one another with only a comma between them

Example of CS:I really enjoy reading, I try to read a book each week.

RO: occurs when two or more independent clauses follow each other with no punctuation in between

Example of RO: I really enjoy reading I try to read a book each week.

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