Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Here’s an unshmoopy question you’ll find on the exam…
Fix this sentence: I couldn't go skateboarding. Because I broke
my leg.
And here are the potential answers:
So… what is this question asking?
Well, it’s really about what makes a complete sentence.
On its own, “I couldn’t go skateboarding” is a full and complete sentence, albeit kind
of a boring one.
It’s the “because I broke my leg” part that makes this question interesting.
That phrase is… just a phrase – it’s not a sentence.
Technically it is a DEPEDNENT clause – it depends on an INDEPENDENT clause to make it
stand alone. Like the cheese.
So...it needs some help and has to be conjoined to the first part so it’s not a grammatical
wipeout.
If we go through the potential answers, A and B don’t work because they’re using
a semi colon and a colon as a full stop and that’ doesn’t work here…
...the fragment has to be joined with the subject and verb – that is, kill the comma,
kill the period and just let the words flow.
So the answer is C.
As in, “Cuts and scrapes.”