Sentence Fragments Sentence Fragments Recipe for a complete

Sentence Fragments

Sentence Fragments Recipe for a complete sentence: 1) Subject 2) Verb 3) Express a complete thought If any of these requirements is not met, the group of words is a fragment rather than a complete sentence.

Sentence or Fragment? Is a large, hairy spider. The tarantula is a large, hairy spider. Some tarantulas of South America to a body length of 3 ½ inches. Some tarantulas of South America can grow to a body length of 3 ½ inches. Although tarantulas of the United States are feared, their bite is only as dangerous as a bee sting.

When will I ever be able to use a fragment? The stark mountains. The lush valley. The quiet lake. Why do the sentence fragments above not make sense, while the sentence fragments below do? When he reached the peak, the hiker stopped to take in the beauty. The stark mountains. The lush valley. The quiet lake.

Practice Identify what is missing in each case. Missing subject : S Missing verb: V Incomplete thought: I Complete sentence: C

Practice 1. Vampire bats only in the tropics of Central and South America. 2. Most horror tales about vampire bats are not true. 3. Vampire bats are very small mammals. 4. Although they do bite other animals. 5. That they do not drain their victims of blood. 6. Their small teeth are as sharp as needles. 7. While animals are sleeping. 8. But can be dangerous. 9. Some vampire bas are carriers of rabies. 10. The greatest danger to victims is infection.

Phrase Fragments Verbal phrases: a verbal is a word that is formed from a verb but is used as a different part of speech. A verbal phrase contains verbals. EX: Learning about the Gobi desert. Appositive phrases: an appositive is a noun or pronoun that identifies or describes a nearby word in the sentence. An appositive phrase consists of an appositive and its modifiers. EX: A strange rock formation. Prepositional phrases: a group of words that contains preposition, a noun, or pronoun called the object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object. EX: Of volcanic rock.

Subordinate Clause Fragments A clause is a group of words that has a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone as its own sentence while a subordinate clause cannot. - these type of clauses are easy to identify because they suggest a question. Subordinate clauses telling why, where, or how (adverb clause) may be placed before the independent clause and set off with a comma.

Practice Complete exercise #3 on pg. 345 in your Elements of Language book. Rewrite the paragraph. Complete exercise #4 on pg. 346 in your Elements of Language book. You do not have to rewrite the subordinate clause ; however, you must underline it.