Sentence fragments — Digital SAT Reading & Writing practice
Spot and repair incomplete sentences.
Key ideas to know
Subordinating Conjunction Fragments
Which option fixes the fragment? The hypothesis was untested. Although it seemed plausible at first glance. A) NO CHANGE B) untested, although C) untested; although D) untested.
B. The second sentence is a dependent clause punctuated as a sentence. Attaching it to the previous clause with a comma creates a complete sentence.
Watch out: Believing that starting a sentence with a subordinating word like although or because automatically makes it correct.
-ing and Infinitive Fragments
Fix this fragment: The researcher carefully analyzing the soil samples. What is wrong and how do you fix it?
Wrong because analyzing is a participle, not a finite verb. Add a helper verb or change to past tense: The researcher was analyzing / analyzed the soil samples.
Watch out: Thinking that an -ing word or to + verb can stand alone as the main verb of a sentence.
Noun Phrase Fragments
Which is a fragment? A) The rapid expansion of the urban area, driven by migration, alarmed planners. B) Rapid expansion of the urban area, driven by migration. C) Planners watched the expansion.
B. It has a long noun phrase with modifiers but lacks a finite verb and predicate. A complete sentence must contain both a subject and a predicate.
Watch out: Assuming that adding many descriptive words to a noun automatically creates a complete sentence.
Repairing Fragments
How should you fix the fragment? The wind howled outside. During the entire storm, shaking the windows and rattling the doors. A) NO CHANGE B) outside during C) outside; during D) outside. During
B. Attach the dependent phrase to the preceding independent clause by removing the period. Option B correctly joins them into one complete sentence.
Watch out: Adding a period to create two sentences when one is actually a fragment that needs to be joined to another clause.
Sample questions
Question 1
When the astronaut was asked about the experience, he spoke about how he felt an overwhelming sense of awe. This feeling was so profound that he could only articulate it by saying, "It's impossible to describe." The astronaut's experience, in essence, was too vast to be captured by language.
Which of the following choices best combines the two sentences at the underlined portion to maintain the meaning and structure of the passage?
- It's impossible to describe, the astronaut said.
- The astronaut said, "It's impossible to describe."
- The astronaut said, "It's impossible to describe;"
- The astronaut said, It's impossible to describe.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: The astronaut said, "It's impossible to describe."
The correct answer is B. The quotation marks are used to enclose the astronaut’s exact words and create a grammatically correct sentence. In this case, a comma should be used to separate the introductory phrase and the quotation, as shown in Choice B.
Question 2
The researchers concluded that, in fact, as many as half of the hunters in the groups they studied were female. This finding was a direct challenge to the accepted view that female participation in hunting was negligible.
Which choice best combines the sentences at the underlined portion to create a grammatically correct and stylistically effective sentence?
- This finding was a direct challenge to the accepted view, that female participation in hunting was negligible.
- This finding directly challenged the accepted view, that female participation in hunting was negligible.
- This finding directly challenged the accepted view that female participation in hunting was negligible.
- This finding, a direct challenge to the accepted view, that female participation in hunting was negligible.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: This finding directly challenged the accepted view that female participation in hunting was negligible.
Choice C is the best option because it combines the two sentences while maintaining a correct grammatical structure and avoiding a comma splice. The phrase "a direct challenge to the accepted view" is nonessential, so it should be set off with commas. The phrase "that female participation in hunting was negligible" is a restrictive clause, so no comma is needed between the clause and the rest of the sentence.
Question 3
Although many writers have explored the idea of self-reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1841 essay *Self-Reliance* stands out as one of the most influential treatises on the subject. In the essay, Emerson argues that individuals should trust their own instincts and judgments. While not shying away from the importance of community, Emerson, a proponent of individuality, believed individuals should develop their own unique talents and perspectives. Emerson’s writings, which have had a profound effect on the lives of countless readers, have helped to shape the course of American thought.
Which choice provides the best way to combine the sentences in the underlined portion of the passage while maintaining the meaning and grammatical correctness?
- Emerson, a proponent of individuality, believed individuals should develop their own unique talents and perspectives, and his writings have had a profound effect on the lives of countless readers.
- Emerson, a proponent of individuality, believed individuals should develop their own unique talents and perspectives, which have had a profound effect on the lives of countless readers.
- Emerson, a proponent of individuality, believed individuals should develop their own unique talents and perspectives; his writings have had a profound effect on the lives of countless readers.
- Emerson, a proponent of individuality, believed individuals should develop their own unique talents and perspectives, for his writings have had a profound effect on the lives of countless readers.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: Emerson, a proponent of individuality, believed individuals should develop their own unique talents and perspectives, which have had a profound effect on the lives of countless readers.
Choice B is the best way to combine the sentences. It uses the correct punctuation, a comma followed by the conjunction “which,” to connect the two clauses. This punctuation and conjunction correctly indicate that the second clause is a dependent clause modifying the noun phrase “Emerson’s writings.” Choices A and C are incorrect because they use incorrect punctuation. Choice D is incorrect because it uses a conjunction (“for”) that doesn’t correctly connect the clauses.