Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
scaffolding tracker
Skill: Sentences and Fragments
Lesson 31
Identifying Sentences and
Fragments
student objectives
•Distinguish between sentences
and fragments.
•Identify common errors that
create fragments.
Writing Tip
In journalistic and creative writing,
fragments can be used sparingly
to create emphasis if they are
clearly related to the complete
sentences that come before. For
example: She began to list the
items she needed to buy for the
camping trip. Matches? Check.
Camp stove? Check. Sleeping
bag? Check.
Teach/Practice
Review/Reteach
Introduced in Teacher's Edition, p. 52
Teach/Model
Remind students that a sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete
thought. A sentence fragment does not express a complete thought and is missing
the subject, the verb, or both.
•Explain how to distinguish between sentences and fragments. Ask yourself
these three questions: Does this group of words have a subject? Does it have
a verb that tells what the subject does or is? Does it express a complete
thought? If you answer no to any of the questions, it is a fragment.
•Discuss errors that create fragments. Writing carelessly or too quickly can
result in fragments. You may leave out a word or cut off part of a sentence
with a period.
•Write these examples on the board. Ask the three questions above and use the
modeling to show how to distinguish between sentences and fragments.
Example
Model/Think Aloud
Fragment: Knowing only the gang world,
started hanging around with the wrong crowd.
Sentence: Knowing only the gang world, Tony
started hanging around with the wrong crowd.
At first glance, this long group of words seems
to be a sentence, but this fragment is missing a
subject. I don’t know who was hanging around
with the wrong crowd. Adding a subject, Tony,
creates a sentence with a complete thought.
Fragment: Thousands of teenagers in this
country who feel that they have no future.
Sentence: Thousands of teenagers in this
country feel that they have no future.
This fragment is missing a main verb that tells
about the subject, teenagers. An easy fix is to
take out the relative pronoun who, so feel
becomes the main verb.
Fragment: Many youth groups promote work.
Which is one way out of trouble.
Sentence: Many youth groups promote work,
which is one way out of trouble.
The first period in this example cuts off the
second part, which is a dependent clause and
not a complete thought. By replacing the
period with a comma, it becomes a complete
thought with a subject and a verb.
Guided Practice/Apply
Write the following on the board. Guide students to identify complete sentences or
fragments missing a subject or a verb, or that don’t express a complete thought.
1.When teens start getting involved with gangs. (fragment; doesn’t express a
complete thought)
2.Ex-gang members trying to teach life lessons. (fragment; missing a main verb)
3.Gangs seem to offer a solution to many teens. (complete sentence)
4.Committing crimes and getting into trouble. (fragment; missing a subject)
Assign Practice, page 253. Have students check their recent writing and correct
any sentence fragments they find.
Resource Links
2 RDI Book 2: p. 252
252
READ 180 Writing Strategies and Conventions
SAM Keyword: Fragments