Sentence+Fragment

 **Sentence fragments ** **__Introduction __** A complete sentence must have a subject and a verb . It should express a complete thought or idea . It is not unusual to see a word group which lacks either a subject or a verb and fails to express a complete thought. It is called a sentence fragment. A sentence fragment is only part of a sentence.[1] A sentence fragment can be caused by one of several reasons. If one recognize these, one will be able to avoid the mistakes in the writing.

**__ Table of Contents __** ==

**__Examples of sentence fragments: __** **//1 Luis works in a video store. He enjoys the fringe benefits. For example, seeing the new movies first. //**  (This is one of the most common mistakes English-studying students will make. “seeing the new movies first is only part of the sentence. It lacks a subject and a real verb. We can correct it by adding the subject and verb //he sees//.) **2 //Electronic devices keep getting smaller. Such as video cameras and cell phones. Some are so tiny they look like toys.// ** (In this example, the second part is a sentence fragment. It is not a compete sentence. It should be inserted into the preceding sentence and become part of it as the illustration.)

**__Four Types of Fragments __** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">Basically, there are four major types of sentence fragments:
 * 1) **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Missing-subject **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">fragments[2]
 * 2) **//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">–ing //****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;"> and //to// **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">fragments [3]
 * 3) **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Added-detail **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;"> fragments [4]
 * 4) **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Dependent-word **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;"> fragments [5]

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">Next, these four types will be explained in detail. Once we understand what kinds of fragments we are likely to write, we should be able to eliminate the mistakes.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">1 Missing-subject fragments ** When a sentence is included with verb but lacks the subject, it is a missing-subject fragment. <span style="color: black; font-family: 宋体; font-size: 19px;">1. **//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Fenny made an appointment with Lyle. Then never showed up. //**   <span style="color: black; font-family: 宋体; font-size: 19px;">2. **//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">After the party they had double the milkshakes. Also apple pie. //**  <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">In the aforementioned two examples, the writer thought that the subject of the first part also applied to the second part. It does, but only when the second half joined into the first sentence by a conjunction, or simply write them in two separate sentences.[6] <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">So, the two examples can be corrected to   <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">1**//Fenny made an appointment with Lyle,//** **//<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">but //****//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">she never showed up. //**   <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">2 **//After the party they had double milk shakes//** **//<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">and //****//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">apple pies //** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">Or, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">1 **//Fenny made an appointment with Lyle. Then//** **//<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">she //****//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">never showed up. //**   **//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">2After the party they had double milkshakes. //****//<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">They //****//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;"> also had apple pies. //**  <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">To sum up, the ways to correct the missing-subject fragments are: **<span style="color: red; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">First, attach the fragment to the complete thought that precedes it; ** **<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">second, add a subject. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">[7]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">2 //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">–ing // or //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">to // fragments ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">When an **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">–ing //**word appeared at or near the beginning of a word group, it usually generates a sentence fragment.[8] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Such kind of sentence fragment often miss the subject and part of the verb, since the **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">–ing //** word is not the real verb. The mistake is probably due to the misunderstanding that the subject in the preceding sentence also serves as the subject of the word group starts by **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">–ing //** word. Here are some examples: > <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Here are three ways to correct **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">–ing //** fragments show follows:  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">First, attach the fragment to the sentence that comes before it or comes after it <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">.[9] So, the first example can be improved as **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Linda walked all over the neighborhood yesterday, trying to find her dog.” //**   <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Second, add a subject and change the **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">–ing //** verb to the correct verb form.[10] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> So, the second example can be changed to //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“**We sat back to watch the movie. We did not expecting anything special.”** //  <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Third, change being to the correct form of the verb be[11] <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">So, the last one could be corrected to **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“I telephoned the balloon store. It was the day before our wedding anniversary.” //** **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">to //**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">fragments are similar to the **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">–ing //**fragments. It appears when **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">to //** starts a word group. To correct a **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">to //** fragment, one can just add the fragment to the preceding sentence. [12]
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Linda walked all over the neighborhood yesterday. Trying to find her dog. Several people claimed they had seen it only few hours ago. //**
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">We sat back to watch the movie. Not expecting anything special. To our surprise, we clapped, cheered, and cried for the next two hours. //**
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">I telephoned the balloon store. It being the day before our wedding anniversary. I knew my wife would be surprised to receiver a dozen heart-shaped balloons. //**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">3 Add-detail fragments ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Details which are added to a sentence can also cause a sentence fragment. Here are some words students should pay attention to.[13] They often lead to add-detailed fragments. They are**//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00b050; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> especially, except, particularly, in addition, including, not even, such as, for example //** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00b050; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> Let us see some examples of add-detail fragments. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">** //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Abraham Lincoln saw violence as the supreme threat to America. Particularly war. // ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">To correct a fragment caused by added details, we can just <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">attach the fragment to the previous sentence. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">[14] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">So, the example should be corrected as  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Abraham Lincoln saw violence as the supreme threat to America, particularly war. // ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">When the detail is too long, it is also fine to make the fragment as a compete sentence stand by its own.For instance,[15] **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Kelvin tends to antagonize people because he acts like a real asshole. Let’s say, never being on time, thinking and talking only about himself, interrupting others, and talking with his mouth full. // ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">In this example, it is very difficult to insert the second sentence into the previous sentence. <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The best way to correct it is to add a subject and make it a sentence by its own.[16] **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Kelvin tends to antagonize people because he acts like a real asshole. Let’s say, he is never on time, thinks and talks only about himself, interrupts others, and talks with his mouth full. // **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 21px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**4 Dependent-Word fragments** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Dependent-word fragments are triggered by the misuse of relative pronouns and subordinate conjunctions. When a word group starts with the dependent word and has only this part, then it is a fragment. Here is a list of such relative pronoun and subordinate conjunctions.[17] **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Relative pronoun: ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00b050; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">what, whatever, when, whenever, where, wherever, whether, which, whichever, while, who, whoever, whose. //** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**Subordinate conjunctions:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00b050; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">after, although, though, as, because, before, even though, how, if, even if, in order that, since, that, so that, unless, until. //** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The easiest way but also the most effective one is to <span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">join ** the fragments with the previous sentence or the sentence that comes after it to create a sentence expressing a complete thought <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">[18] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> Look at the following fragments and their correctness respectively. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">1. **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">After I cashed my pay check. I treated myself to dinner. //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">X ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">After I cashed my pay check, I treated myself to dinner. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">(The fragment has been joined to the sentence comes after.) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">2. **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">I won’t leave the house. Until I hear from you. //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">X ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">I won’t leave the house, until I hear from you. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">(The fragment has been joined to the previous sentence.)

__**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 21px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Tips **__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Sentence fragments are one of the most common mistakes that students will make. Yet, it is not that difficult to avoid once you comprehend the specific classifications and the way to correct them. Now I would like to recommend some tips to check for the sentence fragments. <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">First of all, read whatever you write sentence by sentence out loud.[19] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">We can be more sensitive to the fragments by doing this. <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Second of all, consciously cultivate the ability to correct sentence fragments.[20] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">You can ask yourself whether the sentence contain a subject, a verb and has a complete idea that stands by its own. <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Last, more specifically, look out for the signs for the most common fragments**:** <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">After, because, since, when, -ing, to, such as, especially //**, etc.[21]

**__ Sentences fragments __**__<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">VS <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 21px;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Minor sentences ** __ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Students should also aware of the difference between sentence fragments and **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">minor sentence **. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">A fragment is by definition a non-sentence. A minor sentence, on the other hand, is a group of words or simply a word that is not a complete sentence, but is understandable in the context.[22] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Questions and answers ** in our daily communication are usually minor sentences. For instance: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">-**What are you doing?** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">-Nothing. (Minor sentence) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **-****// I feel terrible today. //** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">-Why? (Minor sentence) **-//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Where did you go? //** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">-Out.(Minor sentence)

__**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 21px;">Exercises **__ <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">The sentences below appeared in papers written by students. Act as their editor, marking a C if the sentences in the group are all complete and an F if any of the sentences in the group is a fragment. Could you tell these writers why the fragments are incomplete sentences? <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">1. Then I attended Morris Junior High. A junior high that was a bad experience. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">2. The scene was filled with beauty. Such as the sun sending its brilliant rays to the earth and the leaves of various shades of red, yellow, and brown moving slowly in the wind. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">3. He talked for fifty minutes without taking his eyes off his notes. Like other teachers in that department, he did not encourage students' questions. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">4. Within each group, a wide range of features to choose from. It was difficult to distinguish between them. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">5. A few of the less serious fellows would go into a bar for a steak dinner and a few glasses of beer. After this meal, they were ready for anything. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">6. It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional. Especially when you are on your first date, you feel that you should be in control. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">7. The magazine has a reputation for a sophisticated, prestigious, and elite group of readers. Although that is a value judgment and in circumstances not a true premise. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">8. In the seventh grade every young boy goes out for football. To prove to himself and his parents that he is a man. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">9. She opened the door and let us into her home. Not realizing at the time that we would never enter that door in her home again. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">10. As Christmas grows near, I find myself looking back into my childhood days at fun-filled times of snowball fights. To think about this makes me happy.
 * <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20px;">KEY **
 * __ F __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">1. Then I attended Morris Junior High. //A junior high that was a bad experience.// //(//**//dependent clause//**//)//
 * __ F __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">2. The scene was filled with beauty. //Such as the sun sending its brilliant rays to the earth and the leaves of various shades of red, yellow, and brown moving slowly in the wind.(//**//dependent clause//**//)//
 * __ C __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">3. He talked for fifty minutes without taking his eyes off his notes. Like other teachers in that department, he did not encourage students' questions.
 * __ F __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">4. //Within each group, a wide range of features to choose from.// It was difficult to distinguish between them. //(//**//no main verb//**//)//
 * __ C __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">5. A few of the less serious fellows would go into a bar for a steak dinner and a few glasses of beer. After this meal, they were ready for anything.
 * __ C __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">6. It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional. Especially when you are on your first date, you feel like you should be in control.
 * __ F __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">7. The magazine has a reputation for a sophisticated, prestigious, and elite group of readers. //Although that is a value judgment and in circumstances not a true premise.(//**//dependent clause//**//)//
 * __ F __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">8. In the seventh grade every young boy goes out for football. //To prove to himself and his parents that he is a man//. //(//**//dependent clause//**//)//
 * __ F __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">9. She opened the door and let us into her home. //Not realizing at the time that we would never enter that door in her home again//. //(//**//dependent clause//**//)//
 * __ C __**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">10. As Christmas grows near, I find myself looking back into my childhood days at fun-filled times of snowball fights. To think about this makes me happy.

__<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|**//http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/5/18/38//**] __ __<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|**//http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/5/18/39//**] __ __<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|**//http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/5/18/40//**] __ __<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|**//http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Quiz-Sentence-Fragments.topicArticleId-251364,articleId-251298.html//**] __ __<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|**//http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Sentence-Fragments.topicArticleId-251364,articleId-251297.html//**] __ **//<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">You may also be interested in these topics: //** **//<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Sentence structure, please go to: //**
 * __ External Links __**
 * //<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">More exercises, please go to: //**
 * //<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">More about sentence fragment, please go to: //**
 * //<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Comma splice, please go to: //**
 * //__<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[] __//**
 * //__<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">http://xiamenwriting.wikispaces.com/comma+splice __//**
 * //<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Comma use, please go to: //**
 * //__<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[] __//**


 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 21px;">Reference __**

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">[1][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]Winkler, Anthony C., and Jo Ray McCuen. Writing Talk: Paragraphs and Short Eassys with Reasings. Second ed. USA: Prentice-Hall, 1997.Print.

[2][3][4][5]J, Langan. Writing Skills With Readings. Suxth ed. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching And Research, 2007. Print.

[10][11][21][22]Messenger, William E., and Peter A. Taylor. Elements of Writing: A Process Rehtorical for Canadian Students. Scarborough: Prentice-Hall Canadian, 1984. Print.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">[13][14][15][16][17]Beaufort, Anne. //College Writing and Beyond: a New Framework for University Writing Instruction//. Logan, UT: Utah State UP, 2007. Print.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[18][19][20][21]Bjo <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">̈ <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">rk, Lennart, and Christine Ra <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">̈ <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">isa <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">̈ <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">nen. //Academic Writing: a University Writing Course//. Lund: Studentlitteratur, 2009. Print.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 宋体,MS Song; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Part of the earlier history: http://mand3222.wikispaces.com/page/history/home **