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Examine the sentence below.

Nonstandard

Biking to school is wonderful. Except when you forget your keys.

“Except when you forget your keys” is considered a fragment instead of a
complete a complete sentence. You occasionally see sentences like this in creative writing, but
for but for academic and professional settings, you should avoid them.

In order to be acceptable, a sentence must be an independent clause. A dependent
clause dependent clause cannot serve as a sentence. In the example above, the first clause is a
sentencea sentence, but the second is not.

Recall that all clauses have subjects and verbs, but what makes a dependent clause
dependent clause dependent is the connecting word called a subordinating conjunction. (Think
about Think about how bosses can call their employees “subordinates,” that is, not equal to
them to them in independence on the job.)

In the sentence above, “except when” subordinates “you forget your keys” into a
dependent a dependent clause.

The fragment can be fixed by incorporating it into the main clause or making it a
sentence a sentence of its own.

Standard

Biking to school is wonderful, except when you forget your keys.

Standard

Biking to school is wonderful. The exception is when you forget your keys.

Fragments frequently occur with groups of words that begin with subordinating
conjunctionssubordinating conjunctions. Be particularly wary with these.

Nonstandard

After I made three dozen Christmas cards.

Standard

I made three dozen Christmas cards.

Standard

After I made three dozen Christmas cards, I wrapped two gifts.

Nonstandard

Because you weren’t there.

Standard

You weren’t there.

Standard

Because you weren’t there, she headed for home.

Standard

The concert wasn’t enjoyable because you weren’t there.

Nonstandard

Even though nearly all the snow had melted.

Standard

Nearly all the snow had melted.

Standard

Even though nearly all the snow had melted, he still refused to swim in the

lake.

Nonstandard

Although I hadn’t been there in three years.

Nonstandard

Although, I hadn’t been there in three years.

Standard

I hadn’t been there in three years.

Standard

But I hadn’t been there in three years.