FUN WITH FRAGMENTS Exploring Sentences and Sentence Fragments

FUN WITH FRAGMENTS Exploring Sentences and Sentence Fragments

A SENTENCE CONTAINS A SUBJECT AND A VERB. DAN ATTENDED THE PEP RALLY BEFORE THE FOOTBALL GAME.

SOMETIMES PART OF THE SENTENCE MAY BE MISSING. • Three little girls in the front row What’s missing? • Ran behind the blue couch What’s missing? • In the attic at the top of the stairs What’s missing?

WHEN A GROUP OF WORDS FAILS TO TELL US • Who or what did something (the subject), • What happened (the verb), • Or both (the subject and the verb), we have what is known as a sentence fragment.

• A sentence fragment is only a PIECE of a sentence. • It does NOT express a complete thought.

Let’s correct these sentence fragments!

Sat behind me in science class What’s missing?

YES, WE NEED A SUBJECT. The new girl sat behind me in science class.

The bag of groceries on the kitchen table What’s missing?

YES, WE NEED A VERB. The bag of groceries on the kitchen table goes to Grandmother's house.

After the rain stopped What’s missing?

YES, WE NEED A SUBJECT AND A VERB. After the rain stopped, the children ran outside to play.

Remember, A sentence must tell you all you need to know to have a complete thought.

Watch out for sentence fragments!

OR FRAGMEN T?

The book Johnny Tremain is historical fiction.

The book Johnny Tremain is historical fiction. We have a subject and predicate, so this is a sentence.

A Newbery Medal winner.

A Newbery Medal winner. This is only a subject. There is no predicate. This is a fragment.

Esther Forbes’s nonfiction book on Paul Revere won a Pulitzer Prize.

Esther Forbes’s nonfiction book on Paul Revere won a Pulitzer Prize. We have a subject and predicate, so this is a sentence.

The silversmith Paul Revere.

The silversmith Paul Revere. What about him? This is only a subject, so it is a fragment.

Offered Johnny a job.

Offered Johnny a job. Who offered Johnny a job? There is only a predicate, so this is a fragment.

Johnny liked his work.

Johnny liked his work. We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

Made things of silver.

Made things of silver. Who made things of silver? This is only a predicate, so this is a fragment.

Johnny burned his hand.

Johnny burned his hand. We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

A terrible accident.

A terrible accident. What about the terrible accident? This is only a subject, so this is a fragment.

An operation made his hand well again.

An operation made his hand well again. We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

THE END