This was a conversation in a writer’s group.

scribbledhopes(Dave)

Re: Sentence Fragments

Our first Problem as writers

Actually people speak in sentence fragments all the time. That’s because we have body language and tone and voice pauses to drop hints on intent. So when we write, we tend to forget the last part and assume what we are saying is with the correct intent.

Writing narration has different rules than written dialog. When you’re writing dialog sentence fragments can be, and often are, acceptable. They sound natural. How many times when you were a child did you heard your mother answer your questioning… Because it is… or just because… She may have been raising her hands, or shrugging her shoulders, or raising her voice to let you know that an argument about cleaning your room was not an option.

When writing narration or description or anything formal, all rules apply.  Dialog is more relaxed and narration is stricter.

That is the first big rule.

A sentence is a complete thought when writing formally. There is no intent. Sentences can be joined together, two complete thoughts but they need a joiner. Like a hook on a cable car. Conjunction, pronoun, sub conjunction.

Okay this seems hairy, but it isn’t…

Examples..

Dave wrote a very long Post.

What you need to do is pop the question for the parts of the sentence.

This is how you do it.

First find your verb – What is going on? Well someone “wrote” something. “Wrote” is your verb.

Find your subject (who or what the verb is referring too) – Umm who wrote something then? Dave wrote it – Dave is your subject or noun.

Find your complement (not needed with passive verbs, or verbs of being)  I know Dave sat down and wrote something. So I pop the question. Dave wrote what? Well , he wrote a post. The “post” is the complement because it links to both the verb and the noun or subject.

The rest is description. A (singular) very long (descriptive)

Okay, so now we have a full thought. If I said to you “Dave wrote… You would say ummm, “wrote what?”

You know, because you speak English, that something is missing.

What if I said: “Dave a very long post.” You might say… “Wow, Dave? is that some kind of code word for long piece of paper. How can Dave be a post.”

So if you’re not sure if you have a complete thought, then say it out loud. If it makes you want to ask a follow up question, then it is missing something.

Okay, we now have our happy little sentence. A complete thought and it doesn’t need help from anyone. It is what is called a independent clause ( a complete thought). Meaning, it’s 21 and it dyed its hair orange and is making its parents miserable.

Dave wrote a very long post.

Well, what if I want to add more to that. It’s boring. So I add

Dave wrote a very long post he liked it.

Hmm that sounds like crap when I say it out loud. It sounds all crammed together. Can’t see why. “Dave wrote a very long post” is a independent clause (thought) and so is”He liked it.”

What you have is two independent clauses bumping into each other. You either need to join them or split them, and you can only join them if they are related. You split them if they are not. So I know Dave liking what he wrote may not be a wise opinion of his skills, it’s still related to the first dependent clause.

So I use a conjunction. But, and , or, so, nor.. ect and they are always set-off with a comma in front of another complete thought. (independent clause)

Now I have:

Dave wrote a very long post, but he liked it. (with a comma)

When you say that to yourself you know it’s correct.

Now let us say I am having an off day. It’s late, I’m tired and I am just trying to close this last paragraph.

So I write..

Dave wrote a very long post. Liked it so much.

Well you look at that and scratch your head and drink that 72 ounce coffee and say, “Okay what is wrong with that other sentence because it doesn’t seem right.”

Let’s pop the question on “Liked it so much.” Our trouble spot.

What is the verb of the last sentence? What is happening? “Liked.” Someone liked something.
Cool, so then we pop for the subject. Who liked something? Well Dave did, but egads, Dave is in the other sentence and the doors are locked and he is typing away. There is a big old period like a traffic cop blocking my verb from attaching to Dave.

Oh-oh.. So I scratch my head and move that one marble around… and think, I need to get them together because the last sentence is dependent on the Subject Dave to make sense. This is called a dependent clause, or a thought that needs help from another thought to make sense. It is dependent on Dave and I don’t even know the guy because he is in another sentence entirely.

So I add a conjunction.. This time not using a comma

Dave wrote a very long post and liked it so much. ( I remove the comma because my second sentence is dependent on the first to make sense.

Now you read this and think, oooohhhh I am so close, but what in blazes is wrong now. When I say this I sound like I am two apples short of a bushel.

So you pop the question on the second sentence again.

Okay, “Liked” is still our verb…

Dave is still the subject, the ego maniac, and I removed the comma and can get to Dave and slap him upside the head.

You pop the subject question again, but this time using the second verb “Liked”.

What did Dave do because he liked it so much.. Umm, not sure. Dave liked it so much that he… something…

So I gnaw it over…

This time I write:

Dave wrote a very long post and liked it so much he danced about.

I say it out loud.  Shy of sounding like Dave gets excited too easy, it sounds correct when I say it.

TAAA DAAA I no longer have a sentence fragment.

Now I think, what if I just left the comma in there to be sure…

Dave wrote a very long post, and liked it so much he danced about.

Now I say it out loud, but I stop half a second between “post” and “and.” I soon realize that the pause is messing with my flow.

So out it comes. Kick it in the butt and send it to the curb. Bad comma , bad. If I had left the little bugger there it would have become a comma splice. You can be shot for that on some writing boards. Here we are cool and just glare heavily.

So that is about it. It can get deep, but if you remember to pop the questions then usually you are good.

Why did I say usually?

Because there is this freakish rule that some mean grammar teacher came up with to mess with our heads.

When a sentence fragment (dependent clause) comes before a complete thought (independent clause), it is offset by a comma.

So if I wrote..

Dave liked it so much, he danced about when he wrote that long post.

He danced about when he wrote that long post- is a complete thought (independent clause)

Dave liked it so much, (is a fragment. It needs more, almost transforms into an introductory clause) (never mind, a different post entirely.) But I need to pause for effect before finishing the sentence.

Say it out loud and it sounds complete.

Ouch… I know that was painful.. Please forgive the humor..

Wait… Ack… I did write a long post, and I do like it very much.

Who would have thought…

That last piece is a sentence fragment as well., but because I ended it with an ellipsis or … it is okay.

I am cheating. I am saying there is more but I am too bored to finish.. so Yada yada yada..

In some cases, a fragment is okay.

My two worn pennies.. for what they are worth. Dave..

If I messed something up just pretend I wasn’t here…. It all was a dream