DLA: FRAGMENTS Student Activity: This is the independent portion of the student activity. First, read through the handout on the types of fragments. Be clear on each type of fragment and why they are fragments and not complete sentences (e.g. what is missing or present to make them fragments). Study the examples for each type. HANDOUT MATERIAL FRAGMENTS Definition: A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It may be missing a subject, a verb, a helping verb, or it HAS a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone because it begins with a subordinator (dependent word). Oftenfragments are pieces of sentences that became separated from the main part of the sentence containing a complete subject and verb. COMMON WAYS FRAGMENTS OCCUR 1. Missing Subject (infinitives, -ing verbs, past participles): Most often, these fragments occur when you start with an infinitive (to + a verb: to run, to jump, to be), an ing verb (running, thinking, wondering), or a past participle (see the list under past participles: lost, forgotten, found, unknown, etc.). With every sentence you write, ask yourself if you can tell who or what is doing something or being a certain way. The examples below probably got separated from their main ideas since we don t know who are what these sentences are about (no subjects): Fragment: Working double shifts as a Waffle House waitress to earn money for school. Fragment: Walking off the job in disgust. Fragment: To be the best DJ country music had ever heard. Fragment: Found by the side of the frozen lake. The FIX: Add a subject and correct the verb, or, if the sentence before seems to go with it, delete the period, add a sentence, or use the whole fragment to describe a new sentence you attach to it. Correct: Working double shifts as a Waffle House waitress to earn money for school, Veronica wore herself out. Veronica wore herself out working double shifts as a Waffle House waitress to earn money for school. John walked off the job in disgust. Correct: Jethro wants to be the best DJ country music had ever heard. Correct: To be the best DJ country music had ever heard is Joel s dream. Correct: To be the best DJ country music had ever heard,one must work long hours. Correct: The missing girl s mitten was found by the side of the frozen lake.
2. Missing Verb / Verb Part (e.g. Helping Verb): Often, a sentence SEEMS to have a verb, but because it is an ing verb or a past participle, it can t stand alone (it needs a helping verb or needs to be a different form of the verb): Fragment: Some of the students working for Professor Jenkins in the chemistry lab. Fragment: We seen the most exciting movie last night! The FIX: Add a helping verb in front of the verb that can t stand alone OR change the verb OR add a complete verb at the end of the sentence. Add a helping verb: Some of the students were working for Professor Jenkins in the chemistry lab. Change the verb form: We saw the most exciting movie last night! Turn the incorrect verb into a description and add another main verb: Some of the students working for Professor Jenkins in the chemistry lab didn t get paid. NOTE: Sometimes a missing helping verb occurs in a sentence (we sometimes speak in conversation by dropping a helping verb: e.g. You seen that new Johnny Depp movie? Correct: Have you seen that new Johnny Depp movie? Fragment: He been bothering you? Fragment: You going to my part of town? The FIX: Add a helping verb. Correct: Has he been bothering you? Correct: Are you going to my part of town? 3. Prepositional Phrase, Infinitive, or Other Added Details: The fragment occurs because a student may add some information to a sentence but separate it from the sentence. (The fragments are underlined.) Fragment: In 1962, before the shooting of President Kennedy. The world seemed innocent. Fragment: Los Angeles offers many job opportunities. Such as in the entertainment field, the food service industry, tourism, and health care. Fragment: With ninety percent of all Americans now owning a television set. Fragment: Marco loves many cold weather sports. For instance, skiing at Big Bear and ice climbing in Colorado. Fragment: To do well in college classes. One should study two hours a week for each credit he or she is taking.
Fragment: Melissa got her feathers ruffled by a snicker from the audience. And stormed off the stage in a huff. The FIX: Add a sentence to the beginning or the end OR remove the period and connect the sentence to what comes before or after the fragment (if it will fit easily together with your fragment). If there are two separate sentences that don t combine easily, make sure each sentence has a subject, has a verb, and can stand alone. Complete thought added to the end: In 1962, before the shooting of President Kennedy, the world seemed innocent. Combine the fragment to a sentence: Los Angeles offers many job opportunities such as in the entertainment field, the food service industry, tourism, and health care. Add a complete thought in front of the fragment: Reading has decreased considerably in the last fifty years with ninety percent of all Americans now owning a television set. Complete the fragment by adding information: Marco loves many cold weather sports. For instance, he enjoys skiing at Big Bear and ice climbing in Colorado. Combine the infinitive with another sentence (if it makes sense to do so): To do well in college classes, one should study two hours a week for each credit he or she is taking. Combine the fragment to a sentence: Melissa got her feathers ruffled by a snicker from the audience and stormed off the stage in a huff. 4. Dependent Words & Relative Pronouns: Sometimes a fragment HAS a complete subject and verb, but because it begins with a dependent word (subordinator), it can t stand alone, or the fragment has a subject, but the verb is with who, which, or that, meaning that the verb cannot work as the main verb in the sentence. SUBORDINATORS & RELATIVE PRONOUNS After Although As as if as long as as soon as as though Because Before Even though If in order that now that Once Since So that (so) than That Though Unless Until ( til) What Whatever When Whenever Where Whereas Whether Who Which While Why Fragment: Some of the students who worked for Professor Jenkins in the chemistry lab. (Even though worked is a verb, it cannot be the main verb what about the students who worked for Professor Jenkins?)
Fragment: Although some students worked for Professor Jenkins in the chemistry lab. (There is a subject and verb, but the word although means a complete thought needs to be added.) Fragment: I needed a break from my sniveling boyfriend. Becausehe whines too much.(there is a subject and verb, but the word Because means the subject and verb cannot stand alone a complete thought needs to be added.) Fragment: From the moment thatshe laid eyes on the cabin in the mountains. (Sometimes the word that is not written it actually has an UNDERSTOOD dependent word in it: From the moment (that) she laid eyes on the cabin in the mountains. Either way, laid is not the main verb because it is with that. What happened once she laid eyes on the cabin? The reader is still waiting.) Fragment: The woman who works for the IRS. ( Works cannot be the main verb because it is with who. ) The FIX: Remove the dependent word or the relative pronoun OR add a complete thought to the beginning or end OR connect the sentence to what comes before or after it (if it can stand alone). Delete the word who, which, or that: Some of the students whoworked for Professor Jenkins in the chemistry lab. Add a main verb: Some of the students who worked for Professor Jenkins in the chemistry labreceived A s. Add a complete thought: Although some students worked for Professor Jenkins in the chemistry lab, they preferred to work in Dr. Brown s lab. Connect the dependent word fragment to a complete thought, if connecting the two makes sense: I needed a break from my sniveling boyfriend because he whines too much. Add a complete thought: From the moment she laid eyes on the cabin in the mountains, she loved it. Add a main verb: The woman who works for the IRS is bitter and angry. 5. Mixed Construction (starts with a prepositional phrase, but then you forget and think that the noun in the prepositional phrase IS the subject): Fragment: In searching for her lost keys made her late for work. Fragment: By working two jobs helped her to save money for college. The FIX: Remove the preposition. Correct: Searching for her lost keys made her late for work. Correct: Working two jobs helped her to save money for college. The FIX: Add a subject (you may have to change the verb so that the sentence makes sense).
Correct: In searching for her lost keys, she was her late for work. Correct: In working two jobs, she was able to save money for college. NOTE: Fragments for Effect Some use fragments on purpose, to call attention to a specific detail. It IS acceptable in certain types of writing (you ll see it in magazines and newspapers), but AVOID it in academic papers: Incorrect: Lola told her best friend that if he asked her, she would marry Brad Pitt. In a New York minute. Incorrect: Carly married a billionaire. Which is why she can spend her days sunning on the beach and eating caviar instead of working like the rest of us. The FIX: combine the prepositional phrase / added detail to the rest of the sentence. Correct: Lola told her best friend that if he asked her, she would marry Brad Pitt in a New York minute. Correct: Carly married a billionaire, which is why she can spend her days sunning on the beach and eating caviar instead of working like the rest of us.
Now that you have reviewed the possible ways fragments can occur, next take out the exercise on fragments. You will find a list of sentences (not in paragraph form). Study each sentence and determine whether it is a fragment or a complete thought. With those identified as fragments, either add information or delete one or more words to correct the fragment and make it a complete thought. EXAMPLE Sentence She won. Playing in the sandbox this morning. Rain fell softly. If Jack shaved his beard. OR Student Response ANS: Correct ANS: Incorrect ~ SHE WAS playing in the sandbox this morning. ANS: Correct ANS: Incorrect ~ If Jack shaved his beard, JAN WOULD GO OUT WITH HIM. ANS: Incorrect ~ If Jack shaved his beard. QUESTIONS 1. People who knew her in high school. 2. From early in the morning until late at night. 3. Playing the piano and singing old German songs. 4. It rained today. 5. You been to Ellie s house? 6. While Sarah lay on the couch. 7. The child forgotten by his babysitter at Chuck-E-Cheese. 8. I know. 9. Tony written a brilliant essay on Napoleon. 10. Jogging is fun. 11. He painting portraits of British royalty. 12. The lizards sunning on the rock. 13. Before it s too late. 14. The woman who lives in the blue house owns five Porsches. 15. In following her heart gave her a rewarding life.
Now read the sentences out loud both the sentences you feel are already correct and your corrected versions of the fragments. Decide whether all the sentences you read out loud sound as if they re complete. Students often find fragments when they HEAR them read out loud. When you are satisfied that your answers are all correct, review the worksheet with a tutor. Review with Tutor: First, if you feel unclear about fragments, ask your tutor whatever you don t understand. After the tutor clarifies whatever you weren t sure about, or if you feel you do understand fragments after your independent work, explain to your tutor what five ways may lead to a sentence being incomplete. Being the teacher yourself (explaining to someone else what you know) is an excellent way to reinforce the information. Go through each sentence of the exercises you just completed and explain to your tutor why you did not correct the ones you consider correct (explain why the sentence is complete and can stand on its own) and also explain why you corrected the ones you considered fragments the way you corrected them. (In other words, what was missing, and how does your correction make the sentence complete, or how does removing one or more words make the sentence complete?) Finally, have the tutor go review with you the ones you missed (if any!). For additional work, you may want to try the following exercises on Purdue s OWL website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/5/18 For your next activity, you will take the exercise to a more challenging level by looking for fragments within the context of a paragraph. Student Activity: Read the paragraph silently. Mark any sentences that you believe to be fragments. Many instructors require students in college level classes to have critical thinking skills. What is critical thinking? Critical thinking about questioning assumptions. By observing carefully, gathering information, and reflecting on that information. One may become a critical thinker. Critical does not imply negative (as in disapproval). It is more about being reasonable, careful, and precise. In thinking through problems. An important part of a college education is to be open to alternate perspectives. By having an open mind can allow us to be flexible and open to new ideas. Because it is not simply enough to gather knowledge. And then not know how that knowledge can be useful. Most importantly, students should be aware of their own assumptions. Such as preconceived notions about certain races, religions, political affiliations, gender, and other differences. Being aware of their own assumptions allows them to rethink their opinions and see with new eyes. Students will avoid acting on ideas based on incorrect beliefs. Because they will identify possible bias or prejudice. That often creates misunderstandings. They will have raised awareness of possible propaganda. And allows them to come up with carefully thought out conclusions. Thinking critically allows students to come up with effective solutions to complex problems. It is a must for every college student and conscientious human being!
Now read the paragraph aloud, paying close attention to punctuation take long pauses at the end of each period to hear potential fragments. Review this paragraph with your tutor.