FUN WITH FRAGMENTS Exploring Sentences and Sentence Fragments

1. FUN WITH FRAGMENTS Exploring Sentences and Sentence Fragments

2. A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.A sentence contains a subject and a verb.Danattended the pep rally before the football game.

3. Sometimes part of the sentence may be missing. • Three little girls in the front row What’s missing? • Ran behind the blue couch What’s missing? • In the attic at the top of the stairs What’s missing?

4. When a group of words fails to tell us • Who or what did something (the subject), • What happened (the verb), • Or both (the subject and the verb), we have what is known as a sentence fragment.

5. A sentence fragment is only a PIECE of a sentence. • It does NOT express a complete thought.

6. Let’s correct these sentence fragments!

7. Sat behind me in science class What’s missing?

8. Yes, we need a subject. The new girlsat behind me in science class.

9. The bag of groceries on the kitchen table What’s missing?

10. Yes, we need a verb. The bag of groceries on the kitchen table goes to Grandmother's house.

11. After the rain stopped What’s missing?

12. Yes, we need a subject and a verb. After the rain stopped, the childrenran outside to play.

13. Remember, A sentence must tell you all you need to know to have a complete thought.

14. Watch out for sentence fragments!

15. Sentence or Fragment?

16. The book Johnny Tremainis historical fiction.

17. The book Johnny Tremainis historical fiction. We have a subject and predicate, so this is a sentence.

18. A Newbery Medal winner.

19. A Newbery Medal winner. This is only a subject. There is no predicate. This is a fragment.

20. Esther Forbes’s nonfiction book on Paul Revere won a Pulitzer Prize.

21. Esther Forbes’s nonfiction book on Paul Reverewon a Pulitzer Prize. We have a subject and predicate, so this is a sentence.

22. The silversmith Paul Revere.

23. The silversmith Paul Revere. What about him? This is only a subject, so it is a fragment.

24. Offered Johnny a job.

25. Offered Johnny a job. Who offered Johnny a job? There is only a predicate, so this is a fragment.

26. Johnny liked his work.

27. Johnnyliked his work. We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

28. Made things of silver.

29. Made things of silver. Who made things of silver? This is only a predicate, so this is a fragment.

30. Johnny burned his hand.

31. Johnnyburned his hand. We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

32. A terrible accident.

33. A terrible accident. What about the terrible accident? This is only a subject, so this is a fragment.

34. An operation made his hand well again.

35. An operationmade his hand well again. We have both a subject and a predicate, so this is a sentence.

36. The End