Writing Complete Sentences
Sentences
Independent and Subordinate
Clauses
Fragments
Run-ons
Sentence Fragments
• A sentence fragment is a group of words that is only part of
a sentence. It fails to give the whole picture.
• A complete sentence must have a subject, a verb, and
express a complete thought.
• Examples:
– Fragment: Is a large, hairy spider. [The subject is missing. What
is a large, hairy spider?]
– Sentence: The tarantula is a large, hairy spider.
– Fragment: Some tarantulas of South America to a body length of
3 ½ inches. [The verb is missing. What do some tarantulas do to
a body length of 3 ½ inches?]
– Sentence: Some tarantulas of South America can grow to a body
length of 3 ½ inches.
– Fragment: Although tarantulas of the United States are feared.
[The word group has a subject and a verb, but it does not
express a complete thought.]
– Sentence: Although tarantulas of the United States are feared,
their bite is only as dangerous as a bee sting.
How do I know if I used a fragment?
• To find out if you have written a fragment, you
can use the following simple three-part test:
1. Does the word group have a subject?
2. Does the word group have a verb?
3. Does the word group express a complete
thought?
Identifying Sentence Fragments
1. Vampire bats only in the tropics of Central and South
America.
2. Most horror tales about vampire bats are not true.
3. Vampire bats very small mammals.
4. Although they do bite other animals.
5. That they do not drain their victims of blood.
6. Their small teeth are as sharp as needles.
7. While animals are sleeping.
8. But can be dangerous.
9. Some vampire bats carriers of rabies.
10. The greatest danger to victims is infection.
Phrase Fragments
• A phrase is a group of related words that does not contain both a
verb and its subject. Because it does not have all the basic parts of
a sentence, a phrase by itself is a fragment. Three kids of phrases
are often mistaken for sentences: verbal phrases, appositive
phrases, and prepositional phrases.
• Examples:
–
–
–
–
Fragment: Our class interested in deserts.
Sentence: Our class was interested in deserts.
Fragment: Found in hot and cold climates.
Sentence: Found in hot and cold climates, deserts are created when
the earth’s surface receives little or no rain.
– Fragment: Learning about the Gobi Desert.
– Sentence: Learning about the Gobi Desert made me interested in
studying deserts.
Revising Phrase Fragments
1. In outer space.
2. Through asteroid fields.
3. To discover the unknown.
4. Sampling rocks and soil.
5. Excited and surprised.
6. A remote-controlled vehicle.
7. Fueled by scientists’ imaginations.
8. On the planet’s horizon.
9. Shattered by asteroids.
10. To probe the surface of Mars.
Subordinate Clause Fragments
• A clause is a group of words that contains a verb
and its subject. One kind of clause, an
independent clause, expresses a complete
thought and can stand alone as a sentence. For
example, the independent clause I missed the bus
is a complete sentence. However, another kind
of clause, the subordinate clause, does not
express a complete thought and cannot stand
alone as a sentence. A subordinate clause
fragment is easy to identify because it suggests a
question that it does not answer.
Examples of Clause Fragments
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fragment: When flocks of scarlet ibises come to roost in the mangrove
trees of the Caroni Swamp. [What happens when the ibises roost in the
mangrove trees?]
Sentence: When flocks of scarlet ibises come to roost in the mangrove
trees of the Caroni Swamp, the trees seem to blossom in bright red.
Fragment: Which is the national bird of Trinidad. [Note that this group of
words would be a complete sentence if it ended with a question mark.
However, as a statement, it does not express a complete thought. It does
not tell which is the national bird of Trinidad.]
Sentence: The scarlet ibis, which is the national bird of Trinidad, begins its
flight at sunset.
Fragment: That the government established. [What did the government
establish?]
Sentence: Part of the Caroni Swamp is a bird sanctuary that the
government established.
Note
• A subordinate clause telling why, where, when, or how
is an adverb clause and generally may be placed before
or after the independent clause. When you combine
sentences by inserting an adverb clause, try the clause
in both positions to see which reads better to you.
• Examples:
– Because it wanted to protect the beautiful bird, the
government of Trinidad established the Caroni Bird
Sanctuary.
– The government of Trinidad established the Caroni Bird
Sanctuary because it wanted to protect the beautiful bird.
When an adverb clause comes first, remember to separate
it from the independent clause with a comma.
Using Subordinate Clauses in
Sentences
1. Who inspires me
2. When I rented the movie
3. Because I enjoy her acting
4. If the performance is good
5. That wins the award
6. Whose singing is wonderful
7. Once I controlled my excitement
8. As if she were dancing on air
9. Although I never saw her in person
10. Which she portrayed with great skill
Note
• You have seen that it is easy to mistake phrases and subordinate
clauses for complete sentences. It is also easy to mistake a series of
items for a complete sentence. In the following example, the series
of items in the second word group is a fragment. It may make
sense along with the sentence that comes before it, but it cannot
stand on its own because it does not express a complete thought.
• Fragment: My brother enjoys different types of science. Biology,
chemistry, and astronomy.
• To correct the series fragment, you can (1) make it into a complete
sentence or (2) link it to the previous sentence with a colon.
• Sentence: My brother enjoys different types of science. He enjoys
biology, chemistry, and astronomy.
• or
• My brother enjoys different types of science: biology, chemistry,
and astronomy.
Identifying and Revising Fragments
Whenever I am at the beach. I think about the vast
world that exists beneath the ocean’s surface.
Though the marine life is interesting. The ocean
floor is what really interests me. The deepest
known spot in the Pacific Ocean is the Mariana
Trench. Which is the deepest know spot in any
ocean. It lies 36, 198 feet below sea level. In 1960,
the bathyscaph Trieste dove to a record depth in the
trench. Plunging 35, 810 feet. The Atlantic Ocean is
the shallowest ocean. With an average depth of 11,
700 feet. The deepest known spot in the Atlantic
Ocean is the Milwaukee Depth. It lies 27, 493 feet
below the surface. In the Puerto Rico Trench.
These trenches exceed the average depth of the
ocean floor. Reaching deep into the earth’s surface.
Run-On Sentences
• A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences that are written
as one sentence. Because run-on sentences do not show where one
idea ends and another begins, they can confuse readers. There are
two kinds of run-on sentences: the fused sentence and the comma
splice.
• In a fused sentence, the writer has joined two or more sentences with
no punctuation between them.
– Examples:
• Run-on: Measurements originally were related to the sizes of people’s hands, arms,
and feet an inch was once defined as the width of a thumb.
• Correct: Measurements were originally related to the sizes of people’s hands,
arms, and feet. An inch was once defined as the width of a thumb.
• In a comma splice, the writer has joined two or more sentences with
only a comma to separate them.
– Examples:
• Run-on: A foot was the length of a person’s foot, a yard was the distance from a
person’s nose to the end of his or her thumb when an arm was outstretched.
• Correct: A foot was the length of a person’s foot. A yard was the distance from a
person’s nose to the end of his or her thumb when an arm was outstretched.
Revising Run-On Sentences
1.
You can make a compound sentence by adding a comma and a
coordinating conjunction (and, but for, nor, or, so or yet).
Run-on: In photography, an aperture controls the amount of light exposing
the film a shutter controls how long the film is exposed to the light.
Revised: In photography, an aperture controls the amount of light exposing
the film, and a shutter controls how long the film is exposed to the light.
2.
You can make a compound sentence by adding a semicolon.
Run-on: A slower shutter speed allows more light to expose the film a faster
shutter speed allows less light to expose the film.
Revised: A slower shutter speed allows more light to expose the film; a faster
shutter speed allows less light to expose the film.
3.
You can make a compound sentence by adding a semicolon and a
conjunctive adverb- a word such as therefore, instead, meanwhile,
still, also, nevertheless, or however. A conjunctive adverb should be
followed by a comma.
Run-on: Cameras have been greatly improved over time, controlling
exposure with the aperture and shutter has remained the same.
Revised: Cameras have been greatly improved over time; nevertheless,
controlling exposure with the aperture and shutter has remained the
same.
Revising Run-ons
1. Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country it is bordered by
Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. (make into two sentences)
2. Most of the people living in Cambodia belong to the Khmer
ethnic group, people belonging to other ethnic groups also
live there. (use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb)
3. Cambodia has a famous river called the Mekong it also has
a large lake called the Tonle Sap. (use a coma and
coordinating conjunction)
4. Like many other Asian countries, Cambodia has a climate
that is good for growing rice, no one should be surprised to
find out that rice is the country’s principal crop. (use a
semicolon and a conjunctive adverb)
5. More than 200, 000 people from other countries visit
Cambodia each year most of them are tourists. (make into
two sentences)
Revising Run-ons
6. In the northwestern part of Cambodia, there is an area
known as Angkor it is now a popular site for visitors to
the country. (use a semicolon)
7. In fact, Angkor is the most popular tourist destination in
Cambodia many people visit the country just to see it.
(use a semicolon)
8. Some of the structures in Angkor are more than eight
hundred years old they are world renowned for their
beautifully carved details. (make into two sentences)
9. Angkor Wat, the most famous monument at Angkor, was
originally built as a temple it also served as an
astronomical observatory. (use a comma and a
coordinating conjunction)
10. Another monument, called Angkor Thom, features a
structure called the Bayon two hundred stone faces
decorate its surface. (use a semicolon)