FRAGMENTS

Fragment
 isa group of words that cannot stand alone as
a complete sentence but is mistakenly
punctuated as though it were.
A word group that looks like a sentence but
either does not contain both a subject and a
verb or does not express a complete thought.
Sentence or Sentence Fragment?
Fragment: Visited an old Spanish Mission in San Diego.
(The subject is missing. Who visited the mission?)
Sentence: My family visited an old Spanish Mission in San Diego.
Fragment: Alonzo’s sisters and brothers.
(The verb is missing. What did Alonzo’s brothers and sisters
do?)
Sentence: Alonzo’s sisters and brothers planned a surprise birthday
party for his party.
Fragment: As I walked to school yesterday.
(This thought is not complete.)
Sentence: As I walked to school yesterday, I saw Mr. Sander walking his
dog.
Identifying Fragments
A fragment is almost always a continuation of the preceding
sentence. As in the examples:
 Continued progress in advance technology is not necessary.
Just not important.
 Although the technical progress in previous years has been
helpful , recent technology has significantly increased
pollution. Which are a lot.
 We should suspend the continued development of technology.
Because man can become slave to technology.
 Most fragments fall into one of three categories :
renamers, adverbs, and -ing fragments.
1. Renamers – these fragments rename or give further
information about the last noun in the preceding
sentence .
Ex. Continued progress in advanced technology is not
necessary. Just not important.
In this example, the fragment renames the words
not necessary.
 Another common type of renamer begins with which.

Ex. Although the technical progress in previous

years has been helpful, recent technology has
significantly increased pollution. Which are a lot.
The fragment gives further information about
the pollution.
2. Adverb Fragment
In this category, fragments are adverb clauses that
tell when, where and specially why something
happened.
Ex. We should suspend the continued development of
technology. Because man can become slave to
technology.
The fragment expands on the entire previous
sentence, explaining why the continued development
of technology should be suspended.
3. -ing Fragments- these fragments begin with the –
ing form of the verb. Typically, the –ing fragments
explain something about the meaning of the preceding
statement.

Ex. I expressed my symphathy against continued

patronage of technology. Doing my part to live
basically and simply.
In this example, the –ing fragment explains why the
writer expressed symphathy against continued
patronage of technology.
Correcting Fragments
If the fragment is a renamer or an –ing fragment, you will
probably need to add a comma.
1. I have to take the steep road. The highway to hell.
Corrected: I have to take the steep road, the highway to
hell.
2. Today, I actually left home on schedule. Showing that I
can be on time if I try.
Corrected: Today, I actually left home on schedule, showing
that I can be on time if I try.
 If it is an adverb fragment, you will usually need
no punctuation to attach it to the previous sentence.
A comma is required only if the fragment begins with
a word such as although or even though to show a
strong contrast.

Ex. Yesterday’s traffic was worse than usual because

there was an accident.
Corrected: Yesterday’s traffic was worse than usual
because there was an accident.