What is a fragment??

How to  ●
●
Incomplete sentences! 
Pieces of sentences that have become 

Handout:  ●
disconnected from the main clause 
Example 1: “After they finished dinner.” 

Fixing  ●
(Hello?? What’d they do??) 
Example 2: “The man in that house.” 

Fragments! 
(What about him??) 

How do we fix it? 

1. First ask yourself 
Does the group of words in your 
sentence have a subject? Is there a verb 
present? Is a complete thought being 
expressed? 
2. If you answered yes to any of these 
questions then we have a fragment to fix!  
3. Necessary characteristic!!! 
I always say that a sentence isn’t a 
sentence until it is independent or 
complete. We can test this by reading out 
loud! 
4. What to look for​. If you have a 
dependent clause by itself then be sure to 
complete your thought. If you have a 
descriptive phrase by itself then be sure 
to include an applicable subject and verb. 
  If you have a clause that only includes a 
partial verb phrase then be sure to 
complete and include a ‘why.’ 
All the pieces of a sentence should make 
sense and fit together!!!  5. Your turn!!! How would you fix this 
sentence, “Went to the library 
   
yesterday.”