A sentence fragment is a group of words that seems to be a sentence, but is grammatically incomplete because it lacks a subject or a verb, ot that is logically incomplete because other elements necessary for it to express a complete thought are missing.

An independent clause is a set of words that can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a subject and verb and completes a full thought.

A dependent clause is a set of words that contains a subject and verb but cannot stand along as a sentence.

WRONG: Eggs and fresh vegetables on sale at the farmers’ market. – (There is no verb)

WRONG: Because Richard likes hippopotamuses. – (A word “Because” at the beginning with subject and verb, however it fails to express a complete thought.)

WRONG: Martha dreams about dinosaurs although. – (this isn’t a complete sentence which ending with “although”)

The SAT often disguises sentence fragments in long dependent clauses or prepositional phrases. Therefore, be sure that every sentence has a subject and a verb.

** If you see the words although, if, when, while, who, which, or that in an Improving Sentences question, check for a sentence fragment.

WRONG: While many office managers are growing more and mere reliant upon the Internet, others resisting this use of technology. – (There is no independent clause. A word “while” at the beginning … internet, is dependent clause.  Others … technology does not contain a predicate (main) verb.

** The “-ing” verb form by itself can never be the main verb in a clause.

RIGHT: While many office managers are growing more and more reliant upon the Internet, others are resisting this use of technology.

** Sometimes correcting a sentence fragment involves removing words!

WRONG: In the summertime, the kindergarten class that plays on the rope swing beneath the crooked oak tree. – (This is a dependent clause.)

RIGHT: In the summertime, the kindergarten class plays on the rope swing beneath the crooked oak tree. – (Removing the word that creates a correct independent clause.)