How do you avoid sentence fragments?

To avoid sentence fragments, it is important to ensure that each sentence contains a subject and a predicate. A subject is the noun or pronoun that performs the action or is being described, while a predicate is the verb or verb phrase that expresses the action or state of being.

One way to avoid sentence fragments is to make sure that every sentence has a complete subject and a complete predicate. For example, instead of writing "Running in the park," which is a fragment, you can write "I enjoy running in the park." This sentence includes a subject (I) and a predicate (enjoy running in the park).

Another way to avoid sentence fragments is to check for dependent clauses that are not connected to an independent clause. Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences, so they need to be combined with an independent clause. For instance, instead of writing "Although I studied hard.," which is a fragment, you can write "Although I studied hard, I did not perform well on the exam." This sentence combines the dependent clause "Although I studied hard" with the independent clause "I did not perform well on the exam."

Additionally, it is important to ensure that phrases or clauses introduced by subordinating conjunctions (such as because, since, although, etc.) are properly connected to an independent clause. These subordinating conjunctions indicate a dependent relationship and should be followed by an independent clause to form a complete sentence. For example, instead of writing "Because I was tired.," which is a fragment, you can write "Because I was tired, I decided to go to bed early." This sentence connects the dependent clause "Because I was tired" with the independent clause "I decided to go to bed early."

In summary, to avoid sentence fragments, it is crucial to include a subject and a predicate in each sentence, ensure that dependent clauses are connected to independent clauses, and properly connect phrases or clauses introduced by subordinating conjunctions.