Fragments
Say whether these short utterances make whole sentences or not; and if they don’t, add whatever is necessary.
Say whether these short utterances make whole sentences or not; and if they don’t, add whatever is necessary.
Examine each group of words and say whether it is a complete sentence or not. If it is not, make whatever changes you think necessary, until you are satisfied that you have a complete sentence.
1. If you don’t believe me.
2. Where you left off.
3. Before we could stop her.
4. Whether anything serious had really happened.
5. Whether that was his real reason.
6. Which I had never seen in it before.
For example
A stealthy footstep on the stairs.
She thought she heard a stealthy footstep on the stairs.
Was that a stealthy footstep on the stairs?
Note: Fragments are a common and indispensable part of everyday conversation, and are not ‘bad grammar’. However, they are discouraged in formal writing, so it is important to know the difference between a fragment and a sentence.