Fragments are one of the most common grammatical errors in the English language.

Here are some of the most common mistakes that end up as fragments:

No Subject

• Issue: Who is singing in the lobby?
• Solution: Add a subject that confirms who is singing.

Fixed: Peyton is singing in the lobby.

No Verb

• Issue: What about the fur? What is it doing? How would you describe it?
• Solution: Insert either an action verb that states what the fur is doing or a linking verb that describes the fur.

Fixed: My dog’s long fur is dirty.

Clause Turned into a Complete Sentence

• Issue: “As” makes this sentence incomplete (see “Clauses” section for more details). Dependent clauses are unable to stand alone as a sentence, but independent clauses can.
• Solution: Remove “as,” or describe what was happening to you as you were going to class.

Fixed: As I was going to class, I realized I forgot my homework.

Things to make sure of:

• Clear subject
• Clear verb
• No modifiers or phrases that unnecessarily split the subject and the verb, and none that make the sentence a dependent clause rather than an independent clause
• Carefully read your paper aloud to yourself, or have a friend read it aloud to you. This is one of the best ways to catch sentence fragments.

Works Cited:

• “Recognizing Fragments (Video).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy. Accessed 1 April 2021.
• “What Is a Sentence Fragment?” Grammarly, 14 Jan. 2021. Accessed 1 April 2021.