Sentence Fragments
In academic writing, constructing clear and complete sentences is paramount. A sentence fragment, which occurs when a sentence lacks a complete thought, is a common error that can compromise the quality of your academic writing.
✗Conducting thorough research. Before presenting your findings.
➔This example is incorrect because it presents two incomplete thoughts. To rectify this, we should combine these fragments into a single, cohesive sentence.
✓Conducting thorough research before presenting your findings is essential.
In the corrected version, the two fragments are combined into a single sentence with a clear subject and verb.
Rules to Consider:
- ➔Ensure every sentence in academic writing contains a clear subject and a verb.
- ➔Be careful with subordinating conjunctions, ensuring they link complete sentences.
- ➔Regularly review your academic writing to identify and rectify any sentence fragments by integrating them into nearby sentences.
Further Examples:
Incorrect: ✗Examining various theories. To establish a solid theoretical framework.
➔Correct: ✓Examining various theories helps establish a solid theoretical framework.
Incorrect: ✗Analyzing statistical data. Before drawing conclusions.
➔Correct: ✓Analyzing statistical data is essential before drawing conclusions.
Incorrect: ✗Reviewing relevant literature. To support your argument effectively.
➔Correct: ✓Reviewing relevant literature is crucial to support your argument effectively.
Incorrect: ✗Developing a hypothesis. That guides your research.
➔Correct: ✓Developing a hypothesis that guides your research is a critical step.