Editorial Inspirations

A sentence fragment is a group of words beginning with a capital letter and ending with a period but missing at least one of the following elements: a subject, a verb, or a complete thought. Though a sentence fragment is written as a sentence, it is only part of one.

One way to check for sentence fragments is to read each group of words written as a sentence, making sure that it contains at least one subject and one predicate and a complete thought.

Try It!

Look at the groups of words below. Decide is they are sentences or sentence fragments. If they are sentence fragments, determine what is missing and revise it to make a complete sentence.

1. Bill always playing in the yard on the weekends.
2. When Sally tried to change my mind.
3. For example, the plastic bottle with a green label.
4. Which helped to reduce the pain from the subburn.
5. Water sparkling in the moonlight.

The main clause of a sentence, like all other clauses, consists of a subject and a verb. However, a main clause also is a complete thought. A main clause is also known as an independent clause or a simple sentence. Generally, though, the term main clause refers to the independent clause within a sentence that contains other phrases or clauses.

Simple Sentences
I forgot to get the mail.
I asked Dave to pick it up.

Main Clauses in Sentences
I forgot to get the mail, so I asked Dave to pick it up.
I asked Dave to pick up the mail, because I forgot to get it.

As shown above, a sentence consisting of only a main clause is considered a simple sentence. In addition, there are three other types of sentences: compound, complex, compound-complex.

A simple sentence has only one subject and one predicate.

Sally ran across the yard. [Subject + Verb + Object]

A compound sentence has at least two main clauses.

Sally ran across the yard, and Jane followed behind her. [Main Clause, and Main Clause]

A complex sentence has one main clause and at least one subordinate clause.

As soon as Sally ran across the yard, Jane followed behind her. [Adverb Clause, Main Clause]

A compound-complex sentence has at least two main clauses and at least one subordinate clause.

As soon as Sally ran across the yard, Jane followed behind her; at the end of the yard they turned and ran back. [Adverb Clause, Main Clause; Main Clause]

In addition to these four types of sentences, sentences may be classified according to their purpose.

Declarative [Statement]: Sally ran across the yard.
Imperative [Request or Command]: Run across the yard.
Interrogative [Question]: Did she run across the yard?
Exclamatory [Exclamation]: Sally ran across the yard!

Try It!

Find the main clauses and the subordinate clauses in the following sentences. Then, classify the sentences.

1. The sale advertisement showed my favorite items, and I immediately went to the store to make a purchase.
2. The two clouds in the sky make the image of a heart and an arrow, but they dissipate as the clouds quickly move.
3. Though my mother can get on my nerves, I am sometimes glad that she is around; her support has helped me achieve in life.
4. My cat enjoys sitting in my chair beside me; he sits with his legs on the chair and his arms on the armrest, looking like a miniature human.
5. Sally is a chocolate lover; Carl must hide his chocolate if he wants any for when Sally leave, as experience has showed him.

The main clause of a sentence is the independent part of the sentence that can stand on its own as a complete sentence. Below are two main clauses in the simple sentences.

Example

I forgot to get the mail.

I asked Dave to pick it up.

The main clauses can sometimes be more difficult to locate in longer sentences.

Example

I forgot to get the mail, but I asked Dave to pick it up. [”but” is a coordinating conjunction that shows that each main clause is of equal value.]

Although I forgot to get the mail, I asked Dave to pick it up. [”Although I forgot to get the mail” is a subordinate clause, or a dependent clause, because it can no longer be a sentence on its own.]

Try It!

Locate the main clauses, the subordinate clauses, and the coordinating conjunctions.

1. Even though she remembered to buy the milk, she forgot to get the bread.
2. I forgot to print my homework, but I did not worry about it.
3. Sam adopted a puppy, and he took it immediately to the vet for a check up.
4. Though I love to read, I do not enjoy science fiction.
5. She changed her hair style, but I do not like it!

A clause is a sequence of related words containing both a subject and a predicate. There are two types of clauses: an independent clause and a subordinate clause. An independent clause is a complete sentence, while a subordinate clause acts as an adverb, an adjective, or a noun.

Example

I saw the dog, for it stood staring at me. [independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjuntion]

I saw the dog, which was staring at me. [subordinate adjective clause]

I saw the dog because it stood staring at me. [subordinate adverb clause]

I saw that the dog stood staring at me. [subordinate noun clause]

As shown in the examples, subordinate clauses begin with subordinating conjuntions or relative pronouns. They are grammatically dependent upon independent clauses.

The following words are commonly use as subordinating conjunctions:
after
although
as
because
before
even
how
if
now that
once
since
so that
than
that
though
unless
until
when
where
whether
while

Try It!

In the following sentences, locate the subordinate clauses and specify what it is functioning as.

1. What the magazine says may be false.
2. Countrysides where people can find time for rest and relaxation no longer exist.
3. When the storm hit, the electricity went out.
4. As the days grew shorter, Doug’s amount of homework grew.
5. Listen as closely as you can.

A phrase is a sequence of grammatically related words without a subject abd a verb. There are several types of phrases:

Noun Phrase: The young child walked ahead.
Verb Phrase: The parents had been worrying about where their child had gone.
Prepositional Phrase: By 3:00 am on Black Friday, the lines into the mall reached across the street.
Gerund Phrase: Playing in the yard is never a chore, but picking up sticks is.
Infinitive Phrase: Were she willing to go to the mall, I would have gone as well.
Participial Phrase: Tourists walking along the trail see statues of famous soldiers.
Appositive Phrase: She me Jack, her boyfriend, at the mall.
Absolute Phrase: The football game over, the boys slapped high fives.

Phrases can be used as nouns or modifiers. Gerund phrases are always used as nouns; infinitive phrases are often used as nouns; prepositional phrases occasionally are nouns. An appositive phrase identifies or explains the meaning of a noun it relates to. Prepositional phrases often function as adjectives or adverbs. Infinitive phrases are used as adjectives or adverbs, and participial phrases are used as adjectives.

Try It!

Identify each phrase in the following sentences. Then, determine the type of phrase and its function.

1. John expected an offer like that one only once in a lifetime.
2. Destroying many crops, storms flooded the South.
3. Jane used my closet for storing her party dresses.
4. Taking criticism from others is painful but useful.
5. My parents bought a portable DVD player, small and expensive.