Identifying fragments

A group of words must meet the following three criteria to form a complete sentence. If it does not meet all three, it is considered a fragment.

  1. A sentence must have a subject.
  2. A sentence must have a verb, not just a verbal. A verbal (such as the participle singing) needs a helping verb in order to function as a sentence’s verb.
    VERBAL She singing.
    VERB She is singing.
  3. Unless it is a question, a sentence must have at least one clause that does not begin with a subordinating conjunction such as because, if, that, or when.

SOME COMMON SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

after if unless
although in order that until
as once when
as if since where
because so that whether
before than while
even though that who
how though why