Sentences / Fragments

What is a Sentence?

A complete sentence is a group of words that tells a whole story or a full idea. To be a "real" sentence, it needs two things:

1. A Naming Part (Noun): Who or what is the sentence about?
2. An Action Part (Verb): What is that person or thing doing?

Example: The cat (Noun) + naps (Verb). This is a complete sentence because we know who is doing what!

What is a Fragment?

A fragment is just a "piece" of a sentence. It is missing something important, so it doesn't make sense on its own. It leaves the reader waiting for more information.

Common Fragment Mistakes

• Missing the Action: "The big, brown dog." (What about him? Is he running? Is he sleeping? We don't know!)
• Missing the Person/Thing: "Ran to the park." (Who ran? A boy? A squirrel? A robot?)

The "Three Finger" Test To check if you have a complete sentence, hold up three fingers and check for these three things:

1. Capital Letter: Does it start with a big letter?
2. Noun and Verb: Does it have a "who" and a "do"?
3. Punctuation: Does it have a mark () at the end?

Fixing a Fragment If you find a fragment, you can fix it by adding the missing piece!

• If it's missing a "who": Add a person or thing.
• Fragment: "...hopped away." Fix: "The bunny hopped away."
• If it's missing a "do": Add an action.
• Fragment: "The teacher..." Fix: "The teacher reads a book."

Why Do We Learn This?

• Clear Communication: If you only talk in fragments, people might get confused about what you mean.
• Better Writing: Using full sentences makes your stories feel professional and easy to read.
• Thinking Skills: It helps your brain organize thoughts into "who" and "what."

Lesson Summary

• A Sentence is a complete thought (Who + Do).
• A Fragment is a broken piece that is missing a part.
• Always check for a Capital and an Ending Mark.