How to fix sentence fragments
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. Some fragments are incomplete because they lack either a subject or a verb, or both. The fragments that most students have trouble with, however, are dependent clauses—they have a subject and a verb, so they look like complete sentences, but they don’t express a complete thought. They’re called “dependent” because they can’t stand on their own (just like some people you might know who are SO dependent!). Look at these dependent clauses. They’re just begging for more information to make the thoughts complete:
Because his car was in the shop (…What did he do?)
After the rain stops (…What then?)
When you finally take the test (…What will happen?)
Since you asked (…Will you get the answer?)
If you want to go with me (…What should you do?)
Does each of these examples have a subject? Yes. Does each have a verb? Yes. So what makes the thought incomplete? It’s the first word (Because, After, When, Since, If). These words belong to a special class of words called subordinators or subordinating conjunctions. If you know something about subordinating conjunctions, you can probably eliminate 90% of your fragments.
First, you need to know that subordinating conjunctions do three things:
- join two sentences together
- make one of the sentences dependent on the other for a complete thought (make one a dependent clause)
- indicate a logical relationship
Second, you need to recognize the subordinators when you see them. Here is a list of common subordinating conjunctions and the relationships they indicate:
Cause / Effect:because, since, so that
Comparison / Contrast: although, even though, though, whereas, while
Place & Manner: how, however, where, wherever
Possibility / Conditions: if, whether, unless
Relation: that, which, who
Time: after, as, before, since, when, whenever, while, until
Third, you need to know that the subordinator (and the whole dependent clause) doesn’t have to be at the beginning of the sentence. The dependent clause and the independent clause can switch places, but the whole clause moves as one big chunk. Look at how these clauses switched places in the sentence:
Because his car was in the shop,
- John took the bus.
- John took the bus
because his car was in the shop.
Finally, you need to know that every dependent clause needs to be attached to an independent clause (remember, the independent clause can stand on its own).
How do you find and fix your fragments? Remember the basics: subject, verb, and complete thought. If you can recognize those things, you’re halfway there. Then, scan your sentences for subordinating conjunctions. If you find one, first identify the whole chunk of the dependent clause (the subject and verb that go with the subordinator), and then make sure they’re attached to an independent clause.
John took the bus. (Independent clause. So far, all is well!) Because his car was in the shop. (Dependent clause all by itself. Uh oh! Fragment!)
John took the bus because his car was in the shop.
RUN-ONS
These are also called fused sentences. You are making a run-on when you put two complete sentences (a subject and its predicate and another subject and its predicate) together in one sentence without separating them properly. Here’s an example of a run-on:
My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus it is very garlicky.
This one sentence actually contains two complete sentences. But in the rush to get that idea out, I made it into one incorrect sentence. Luckily, there are many ways to correct this run-on sentence.
You could use a semicolon:
My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus; it is very garlicky.
You could use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so):
My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus, for it is very garlicky. -OR- My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus, and it is very garlicky.
You could use a subordinating conjunction (see above):
My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus because it is very garlicky. -OR- Because it is so garlicky, my favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus.
You could make it into two separate sentences with a period in between:
My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus. It is very garlicky.
You could use an em-dash (a long dash) for emphasis:
My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus—it is very garlicky.
You CANNOT simply add a comma between the two sentences, or you’ll end up with what’s called a “comma splice.” Here’s an example of a comma splice:
My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus, it is very garlicky.
You can fix a comma splice the same way you fix a run-on—either change the punctuation or add a conjunction. The good news is that writers tend to be either comma splicers or run-on artists, but almost never both. Which one are you? If you have particular trouble with comma splices, try looking at our handout on commas.
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