| An incomplete sentence is a sentence fragment. A sentence fragment lacks either a subject, a verb, or a complete thought. |
| To correct a sentence that does not have a subject, add an appropriate subject. |
| Incorrect: Surfs at that beach because of the large waves. |
| Correct: My friend surfs at that beach because of the large waves. |
| To correct a sentence that does not have a verb, add an appropriate verb. |
| Incorrect: When camping, remember that bringing good equipment essential. |
| Correct: When camping, remember that bringing good equipment is essential. |
| Verbs with More than One Word |
| Some verbs have more than one word. If you leave out part of a verb, the sentence is a fragment. (Examples of these verbs include: have increased, are going, can be.) |
| Incorrect: We will have done with that job by Friday. |
| Correct: We will have been done with that job by Friday. |
| Incorrect: When will the contractors finished with the new building? |
| Correct: When will the contractors be finished with the new building? |
| Incorrect: Those figures gone down over the past year. |
| Correct: Those figures have gone down over the past year. |
| Correcting a sentence with an incomplete thought can be tricky. You must add necessary words or phrases to make the thought complete. |
| Sentences that Begin with an -ing Verb |
| Watch out for sentences that begin with -ing verbs. Sometimes authors forget to connect these phrases to the rest of the sentence. |
| Incorrect: Thinking the dog had not eaten. Laura fed him for a second time. |
| Correct: Thinking the dog had not eaten, Laura fed him for a second time. |
| Sentences that Serve as Examples or Explanations |
| Watch out for sentences that serve as examples or explanations. Sometimes authors forget to make examples or explanations complete sentences. |
| Incorrect: In many species, fathers play important roles in nurturing their offspring. For example, male penguins. |
| Correct: In many species, fathers play important roles in nurturing their offspring. For example, male penguins care for their eggs while the females stay at sea for weeks. |
| Sentences that Begin with a Prepositional Phrase |
| Watch out for sentences that begin with a prepositional phrase. Sometimes authors forget to connect these phrases to the rest of the sentence. |
| Incorrect: To tell you the truth. I hate taking grammar tests. |
| Correct: To tell you the truth, I hate taking grammar tests. |
| Sentences that Contain a Dependent Word or a Subordinating Conjunction |
| Watch out for sentences that contain a dependent word or a subordinating conjunction. Sometimes authors forget to make complete thoughts when using one of these words. |
| Incorrect: Because the beaches in Hawaii are beautiful. |
| Correct: Because the beaches in Hawaii are beautiful, people from all over the world visit them. |
| Incorrect: While the students are taking the test. |
| Correct: You may not enter the classroom while the students are taking the test. |
| after | even though | when |
| although | if | whenever |
| as | since | where |
| as if | so that | whereas |
| as though | though | wherever |
| because | unless | whether |
| before | until | while |