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This grammar point video will address common sentence errors,
starting with fragment. sentences
There are three major errors in writing,
which must be avoided in order to improve your writing.
The three types of sentence errors are called:
fragment, comma splice, and run-on sentences.
Both comma splice and run-on sentences are also called fused sentences,
and the only difference between a run-on
and a comma splice is the placement of a comma.
This grammar video will only address fragments.
Fragment sentences are easy to identify.
A complete sentence has a subject-verb relationship and a complete thought;
however, a fragment is an incomplete sentence
because it is missing a subject, a verb or a complete thought.
For example the following sentence is missing a subject:
Ate with my family over the holiday weekend.
My girlfriend ate with my family over the holiday weekend.
The next sentence is missing a verb:
My girlfriend with my family over the holiday weekend.
My girlfriend ate with my family over the holiday weekend.
The following sentence is missing a complete thought:
After my girlfriend ate with my family over the holiday weekend.
After my girlfriend ate with my family over the holiday weekend, we went for a walk.
When students attach phrase and clauses to fragment sentences,
it makes it more difficult for them to find
the independent clause and determine if it is a fragment.
the independent clause and determine if it is a fragment.
They see a subject-verb relationship in the dependent clause and think it is a sentence
but a dependent clause does NOT have a complete thought.
but a dependent clause does NOT have a complete thought.
Remember, phrases and dependent clauses must be attached to independent clauses.
Remember, phrases and dependent clauses must be attached to independent clauses.
Here is an example of a fragment with a phrase and a dependent clause:
At the end of the day, tired, hungry, and feeling pain while his car was being repaired.
Students must be able to see the different parts of a sentence and make the appropriate corrections.
The prepositional phrase is “At the end of the day.”
The dependent clause is “while his car was being repaired.”
The fragment sentence is “tired, hungry and feeling pain.”
So we have identified the fragment and must add a subject and a verb to the fragment.
“At the end of the day, the hard-working father was tired, hungry and feeling pain
while his car was being repaired.”
Remember, fragments are usually missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.
Remember, fragments are usually missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.
Many students do not know where to start when they attempt to correct fragments.
The first step is to separate the phrases from the clauses and to locate the independent clause.
The first step is to separate the phrases from the clauses and to locate the independent clause.
Identifying each sentence part, such as the main subject and verb,
is a skill that develops quickly with practice.
One method is to locate “target words” in the sentence, such as,
prepositions, subordinating conjunctions and infinitive verbs
because they usually start a phrase or a clause.
Target words will help students recognize sentence parts and types.
After separating phrases from clauses,
the student can analyze the independent clause and make corrections – if needed.
As you can see, “Because” is a subordinating conjunction,
As you can see, “Because” is a subordinating conjunction,
which starts a dependent clause.
“To focus on social issues” is an infinitive phrase with a prepositional phrase,
functioning as the object of the sentence.
Remember fragments are always missing either a subject, a verb, or a complete thought,
but this independent clause has a subject, verb, and object. So, the sentence is correct.
“Studied all night before he pitched in the championship game, located in Miami.”
Once again, you should separate phrases from clauses, and locate the independent clause.
“Before” is a subordinating conjunction that begins a dependent clause
“Before” is a subordinating conjunction that begins a dependent clause
“Located” is a verb that begins a past participle phrase,
“Located” is a verb that begins a past participle phrase,
which is modifying the word “game.”
The independent clause is “Studied all night”,
but it is missing the subject.
You must add a subject for the sentence to be correct.
The college baseball player studied all night before he pitched in the championship game, located in Miami.
The college baseball player studied all night before he pitched in the championship game, located in Miami.
The final practice sentence is
“People around the world admire Maha Akeel,
a Saudi female journalist,
for her outspoken criticism on both Islamic patriarchal customs and Christian values.”
for her outspoken criticism on both Islamic patriarchal customs and Christian values.”
for her outspoken criticism on both Islamic patriarchal customs and Christian values.”
for her outspoken criticism on both Islamic patriarchal customs and Christian values.”
Can you identify the prepositions “for, on, and around”? They start prepositional phrases.
Now separate the phrases from the clauses
and try to identify the main sentence or independent clause. For an example,
the phrase “around the world” modifies the word “People,”
which acts as the subject of the sentence.
The next phrase, “for her outspoken criticism,”
modifies the word “Maha Akeel,” which acts as the object.
The phrase, “on both Islamic patriarchal customs and Christian values,”
The phrase, “on both Islamic patriarchal customs and Christian values,”
modifies the word “criticism.”
Finally, the phrase “a Saudi female journalist”
is renaming Maha Akeel, so it is classified as an appositive phrase.
Once you identify the various parts of the sentence,
it is easier to locate the independent clause and no longer write fragment sentences.
The independent clause is
”People admire Maha Akeel”,
which has a subject, verb, object, and a complete thought, so it is not a fragment.