Fragments, Run-ons and Comma Splices

Getting Rid of Fragments

There are two kinds of clauses – independent and dependent. A dependent clause has a subject and verb just like an independent clause, but it can’t stand alone because it begins with a dependent word such as

after that, so that although, though unless as, as if until because what, whatever before when, whenever even though where, wherever how whether if, even if which, whichever in order that while since who, whom than whose

Whenever a clause begins with one of the above dependent words, it is dependent. If we take an independent clause such as

We finished the game.

and put one of the dependent words in front of it, it becomes dependent:

After we finished the game Although we finished the game As we finished the game Before we finished the game If we finished the game Since we finished the game That we finished the game When we finished the game While we finished the game

The clause can no longer stand alone. It does not make a complete statement. It leaves the reader expecting something more. It is a fragment and must not be punctuated as a sentence.
Any group of words that does not have a subject and a verb is also a fragment.

Paid no attention to his parents (no subject)

Joe thinking of all his problems (no adequate verb)

Speeding along the highway (no subject and no adequate verb)

The announcement that we had expected (no verb for the independent clause)

You can correct a these sentence fragments in one of two ways:

a) Add words to give it a main clause

b) Join it to an already existing main clause

He paid no attention to his parents. (We added a subject)

Joe was thinking about all his problems. (We put a verb in front of the –ing