Fragmented phrases

A phrase is a group of words that lacks a subject, a verb, or both. If you punctuate a phrase as a sentence (with a capital letter and a period), you create a fragment.

Fragmented phrases are often prepositional phrases or verbal phrases; sometimes they are appositives, words or word groups that rename nouns or pronouns.

Fragmented phrases can be fixed in one of two ways:

  1. Pull the phrase into a nearby sentence.

    Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: The archaeologists worked slowly. Examining and labeling every pottery shard they uncovered. Revised sentence: The archaeologists worked slowly, examining and labeling every pottery shard they uncovered.

    Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: Mary is suffering from agoraphobia. A fear of the outside world. Revised sentence: Mary is suffering from agoraphobia, a fear of the outside world.

  2. Turn the phrase into a sentence. You may need to add a subject, a verb, or both.

    Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: In the training session, Jamie explained how to access our new database. Also how to submit expense reports and request vendor payments. Revised sentencee: In the training session, Jamie explained how to access our new database. She also taught us how to submit expense reports and request vendor payments.

A sentence can have a compound predicate, with two or more predicate phrases joined by a coordinating conjunction. Because the parts of a compound predicate have the same subject, they should appear in the same sentence.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: The woodpecker finch of the Galápagos Islands carefully selects a twig of a certain size and shape. And then uses this tool to pry out grubs from trees. Revised sentence: The woodpecker finch of the Galápagos Islands carefully selects a twig of a certain size and shape and then uses this tool to pry out grubs from trees.

The compound predicate is selects . . . and uses. . . . Notice that no comma appears between the two parts of a compound predicate.

Test for fragments

Exercise: Sentence fragments 1

Exercise: Sentence fragments 2

Exercise: Sentence fragments 3

Exercise: Sentence fragments 4

Exercise: Sentence fragments 5

Related topic:

Punctuation of compound predicates

prepositional phrase A phrase beginning with a preposition and ending with a noun or noun equivalent (called the object of the preposition): on the horizon.

verbal phrase A verbal plus its objects or modifiers.

appositive A noun or noun phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun: Bailey, the representative from Alabama, voted for the bill.

compound predicate Two verbs or verb phrases joined with a coordinating conjunction in one clause and sharing one subject.

predicate A verb and its objects, complements, and modifiers.

coordinating conjunction and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet; used to join elements of equal grammatical form.