How to Deal With Sentence Fragments That Aren"t Too Easy to Find
Putting a period on sentence fragments, as if they were full sentences, is one of the hallmarks of poor writing.
Most of the quality grammar software available should manage to identify a majority of them, though, so make sure you employ them in your work.
Many of those that your software-based tools don't catch, you will likely notice by reading the piece aloud.
Fragments are usually easy to see; one glance through them and you immediately notice that something just isn't right.
However, not all sentence fragments are as effortless to identify.
Occasionally, you'll run across one that masks the fragment behind several clauses and multiple punctuations.
Welcome to the world of fragmented writing, masked as compound and complex sentences.
Check out this example below: The doctor, whose stay in the hospital was short-lived as a result of problems created by both staff and management alike.
Notice how it felt wrong when you read it, but somehow appeared to be right.
Upon close inspection, however, you should notice the problem: the subject (who, in this instance, is the doctor) doesn't have a matching verb.
As such, it's an incomplete sentence - albeit one that went a whole other train of thought, confusing you into merely glazing at its inherent problem.
Funny enough, this type of fragment is very common, especially in writing that has been hurried as a result of deadlines.
Class essays, newspaper fillers and similar writing accomplished under tight schedules are ripe with this type of issue, so make sure to be on the lookout for them in your own writing.
Most of the quality grammar software available should manage to identify a majority of them, though, so make sure you employ them in your work.
Many of those that your software-based tools don't catch, you will likely notice by reading the piece aloud.
Fragments are usually easy to see; one glance through them and you immediately notice that something just isn't right.
However, not all sentence fragments are as effortless to identify.
Occasionally, you'll run across one that masks the fragment behind several clauses and multiple punctuations.
Welcome to the world of fragmented writing, masked as compound and complex sentences.
Check out this example below: The doctor, whose stay in the hospital was short-lived as a result of problems created by both staff and management alike.
Notice how it felt wrong when you read it, but somehow appeared to be right.
Upon close inspection, however, you should notice the problem: the subject (who, in this instance, is the doctor) doesn't have a matching verb.
As such, it's an incomplete sentence - albeit one that went a whole other train of thought, confusing you into merely glazing at its inherent problem.
Funny enough, this type of fragment is very common, especially in writing that has been hurried as a result of deadlines.
Class essays, newspaper fillers and similar writing accomplished under tight schedules are ripe with this type of issue, so make sure to be on the lookout for them in your own writing.
