When a writer capitalizes and punctuates a piece of a sentence as if it were a complete sentence, that’s a sentence fragment. The most common types of fragment are the following:
Verbal phrase punctuated like a sentence
Here are some examples of common mistakes:
- Connecting the two pieces.
- To find where the Beatles lived.
- Therefore accomplishing his third goal.
- Giving you reenactments of her past life.
To correct this type, add a subject and verb to the beginning of the phrase or add a verb plus adjective or noun.
- Connecting the two pieces, he figured out the puzzle.
- The couple looked online to find where the Beatles lived.
- Therefore accomplishing his third goal, Timothy graduated medical school with honors.
- Sheila was giving you reenactments of her past life.
Dependent clause of a complex sentence (the half of the sentence which begins with the connecting word.)
Here are some examples of common mistakes:
- Because she got paid today.
- A man who is complex to some.
- Which are shiny and dappled.
- Until someone releases them with a bite.
To correct this type, connect the dependent clause to the sentence before or after it (whichever makes sense).
- Because she got paid today, Julie bought groceries.
- A man who is complex to some, my father is open and clear with me.
- The horses, which are shiny and dappled, played in the field.
- The worms are stuck on the hook until someone releases them with a bite.
http://owl.ccd.edu/writ_resources/handouts/Frag_Exp.html