What are the common errors in sentence fragments?

Sentence Construction And Errors Questions Long



70 Short 28 Medium 61 Long Answer Questions Question Index

What are the common errors in sentence fragments?

Common errors in sentence fragments include:

1. Incomplete subject or verb: A sentence fragment may lack a subject or a verb, making it incomplete and unable to express a complete thought. For example: "Running through the park." This fragment lacks a subject and verb, and it should be revised to something like "I was running through the park."

2. Dependent clause without an independent clause: A sentence fragment may consist of a dependent clause without an independent clause to complete the thought. For example: "Although I studied hard for the exam." This fragment needs an independent clause to make it a complete sentence, such as "Although I studied hard for the exam, I still didn't do well."

3. Subordinate conjunction without an independent clause: A sentence fragment may contain a subordinate conjunction (e.g., because, although, if) without an independent clause following it. For example: "Because I was tired." This fragment needs an independent clause to provide a complete thought, such as "Because I was tired, I decided to go to bed early."

4. Missing subject or verb in a dependent clause: A sentence fragment may have a dependent clause that is missing a subject or a verb. For example: "While waiting for the bus." This fragment should be revised to include a subject and verb, such as "While I was waiting for the bus."

5. Appositive phrases without a main clause: A sentence fragment may consist of an appositive phrase (a phrase that renames or describes a noun) without a main clause. For example: "My best friend, who is a doctor." This fragment needs a main clause to complete the sentence, such as "My best friend, who is a doctor, always gives me medical advice."

6. Participial phrases without a main clause: A sentence fragment may contain a participial phrase (a phrase that begins with a verb ending in -ing or -ed) without a main clause. For example: "Walking down the street." This fragment should be revised to include a main clause, such as "I saw a cat walking down the street."

7. Prepositional phrases without a main clause: A sentence fragment may consist of a prepositional phrase without a main clause. For example: "In the morning." This fragment needs a main clause to provide a complete thought, such as "In the morning, I like to go for a jog."

To avoid sentence fragments, it is important to ensure that each sentence expresses a complete thought with a subject and a verb, and that dependent clauses are properly connected to independent clauses.