A Writer’s Workshop

The Sentence  The sentence is a word or group of words that expresses a complete thought.  The subject tells what the sentence is about.  The predicate tells information about the subject.  A sentence fragment is a group of words that does NOT express a complete thought. It is missing a subject, predicate, or both, but it is punctuated like a sentence.

A Sentence  The cabinet maker sharpened the carving tools at his bench.

Fragments by Design  Authors will often use fragments on purpose. One of the effects of the fragment, along with punctuation, is to force the reader to read more quickly or more slowly. Look at this example:  “Duncan eyed the boxed of glazed doughnuts as if he were looking at the last dozen of such treats on the Earth. With little hesitation, he delicately picked up one of the sugar- encrusted pastries, and, after a second’s pause to consider its goodness, he crammed the thing into his mouth. His salivary glands cramped and pumped, working to digest the treat. He ate another. And another. And another. He couldn’t stop. The only thing that existed in the world at that moment were the glorious, glazed, gastronomical delights before him. No. Nothing else mattered.” From “Doughnuts Are a Man’s Best Friend”, by Mr. Richard

A Fragment  The cabinet maker.  What is missing from this sentence?  A subject  A predicate

A Fragment  Sharpened the carving tools.  What is missing from this sentence?  A subject  A predicate

A Fragment  At his bench.

Try It Yourself…  Is each group of words a sentence or a fragment? How do you know? 1. Waiting for the yeast bread to rise and bake. 2. Charles White was a professor of American mural art. 3. The artisan cut the red and blue glass for the window. 4. Deep inside the hot pottery kiln. 5. Her palette glistened with globs of fresh paint. 6. In the cabinet maker’s shop behind the bench. 7. A friend as well as a talented chef. 8. Into the basket he gathered. 9. The older, experienced painter and his young student. 10. Artists contribute great beauty to the world.

Solution (fragments in red) 1. I was waiting for the yeast bread to rise and bake. 2. Charles White was a professor of American mural art. 3. The artisan cut the red and blue glass for the window. 4. Deep inside the hot pottery kiln was a vase. 5. Her palette glistened with globs of fresh paint. 6. We found some tools in the cabinet maker’s shop behind the bench. 7. She was a friend as well as a talented chef. 8. Into the basket he gathered pieces of clay. 9. The older, experienced painter and his young student often worked together. 10. Artists contribute great beauty to the world.