Fragmentary Sentences
- Melissa Clutter
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 sentence. You occasionally see sentences like this in creative writing, 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 cannot serve as a sentence. In the example above, the first clause is a sentence, but the second is not.
Recall that all clauses have subjects and verbs, but what makes a dependent clause dependent is the connecting word called a subordinating conjunction. (Think about how bosses can call their employees “subordinates,” that is, not equal to them in independence on the job.)
In the sentence above, “except when” subordinates “you forget your keys” into a dependent clause.
The fragment can be fixed by incorporating it into the main clause or making it 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 conjunctions. Be particularly wary with these.
| Common Subordinating Conjunctions | |
|---|---|
| After | Although |
| Because | Before |
| Even though | If |
| Since | So that |
| Though | Unless |
| Until | When |
| Whenever | While |
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.