W5T2: Sentence Fragments

I think one of the most common grammar mistakes that a Chinese English-learner tends to make is sentence fragments. Chinese and English are different, sometimes opposite, from many perspectives. The Chinese articles, especially literatures, contain fragments which are not considered as grammar mistakes, and they are tolerable. (People even say fragments could present the beauty of language from another perspective.) Besides, the meaning of sentence fragments is also defined differently in these two languages. While studying and writing English articles, we need to pay special attention to sentence fragments. Normally, we make this mistake when using the subordinators and coordinators to connect two related meanings. For example, “I am not going to play basketball tonight, because I need to submit my biodiversity essay tomorrow morning.” I tend to replace the comma with a full stop. Because it is perfectly understandable and it is not a mistake in Chinese. This is the typical circumstance that a Chinese student would make a mistake. Most of us understand clearly what a complete sentence is, but we should notice that when we join two complete sentences, the dependent clause is not longer a separate sentence. It must be connected with the main sentence by a comma. So, keep this in mind, whenever you are using a subordinator or a coordinator, don’t use period before words like because, but, although, since. Because this is possibly a sentence fragment!

I have found some relevant exercise on sentence fragments, which is attached below. 

The sentences below appeared in papers written by students. Act as their editor, marking a C if the sentences in the group are all complete and an F if any of the sentences in the group is a fragment. Could you tell these writers why the fragments are incomplete sentences?

____ 1. Then I attended Morris Junior High. A junior high that was a bad experience.

____ 2. The scene was filled with beauty. Such as the sun sending its brilliant rays to the earth and the leaves of various shades of red, yellow, and brown moving slowly in the wind.

____ 3. He talked for fifty minutes without taking his eyes off his notes. Like other teachers in that department, he did not encourage students' questions.

____ 4. Within each group, a wide range of features to choose from. It was difficult to distinguish between them.

____ 5. A few of the less serious fellows would go into a bar for a steak dinner and a few glasses of beer. After this meal, they were ready for anything.

____ 6. It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional. Especially when you are on your first date, you feel that you should be in control.

____ 7. The magazine has a reputation for a sophisticated, prestigious, and elite group of readers. Although that is a value judgment and in circumstances not a true premise.

____ 8. In the seventh grade every young boy goes out for football. To prove to himself and his parents that he is a man.

____ 9. She opened the door and let us into her home. Not realizing at the time that we would never enter that door in her home again.

____10. As Christmas grows near, I find myself looking back into my childhood days at fun-filled times of snowball fights. To think about this makes me happy.

____11. Making up his mind quickly. Jim ordered two dozen red roses for his wife. Hoping she would accept his apology.

____12. They were all having a good time. Until one of Joe's oldest and best friends had a little too much to drink.

____13. Although it only attained a speed of about twelve miles an hour. My old rowboat with its three-horsepower motor seemed like a high-speed job to me.

____14. With my brother standing by my side, I reached for the pot handle. Tilting the pot way too much caused the boiling water to spill.

____15. The small, one-story houses are all the same size and style. With no difference except the color.

____16. Being a friend of mine like he was when we first joined the soccer team. Together we learned a lot.

This exercise is retrieved from the this website:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_fragEX1.html

The answers are attached below:

F 1. Then I attended Morris Junior High. A junior high that was a bad experience. (dependent clause)

F 2. The scene was filled with beauty. Such as the sun sending its brilliant rays to the earth and the leaves of various shades of red, yellow, and brown moving slowly in the wind. (dependent clause)

C 3. He talked for fifty minutes without taking his eyes off his notes. Like other teachers in that department, he did not encourage students' questions.

F 4. Within each group, a wide range of features to choose from. It was difficult to distinguish between them. (no main verb)

C 5. A few of the less serious fellows would go into a bar for a steak dinner and a few glasses of beer. After this meal, they were ready for anything.

C 6. It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional. Especially when you are on your first date, you feel that you should be in control.

F 7. The magazine has a reputation for a sophisticated, prestigious, and elite group of readers. Although that is a value judgment and in circumstances not a true premise. (dependent clause)

F 8. In the seventh grade every young boy goes out for football. To prove to himself and his parents that he is a man. (dependent clause)

F 9. She opened the door and let us into her home. Not realizing at the time that we would never enter that door in her home again. (dependent clause)

C 10. As Christmas grows near, I find myself looking back into my childhood days at fun-filled times of snowball fights. To think about this makes me happy.

F 11. Making up his mind quickly. Jim ordered two dozen red roses for his wife. Hoping she would accept his apology. (dependent clause)

F 12. They were all having a good time. Until one of Joe's oldest and best friends had a little too much to drink. (dependent clause)

F 13. Although it only attained a speed of about twelve miles an hour. My old rowboat with its three-horsepower motor seemed like a high-speed job to me.

C 14. With my brother standing by my side, I reached for the pot handle. Tilting the pot way too much caused the boiling water to spill.

F 15. The small, one-story houses are all the same size and style. With no difference except the color. (dependent clause)

F 16. Being a friend of mine like he was when we first joined the soccer team. Together we learned a lot. (dependent clause)