
Chemistry
09. Sentence fragments
The sentence fragment is a sub-clause masquerading as a complete sentence. The fragment may contain a verb (a doing word) but the verb does not set the action in time, i.e. it does not tell us when or if an action was, is being, will be or might be performed. Verbs which set an action in time are called 'driving verbs', 'main verbs' or 'finite verbs'. These terms - driving, main or finite - are interchangeable. To be a complete, a sentence needs a main verb.
Examples of fragments:
- Weakening the transition metal-alkyl bond.
'Weakening' is not a main verb. It is a style of verb called a gerund, i.e. a verb working as a noun. It does not power the sentence by telling us when the action was, is, will, or could be performed.
- So that you can win a chemistry prize in the future.
‘Can’ is a verb but the sentence leaves the reader hanging in mid air because it lacks a main clause telling us what must be done 'so that you can win ...'
I blame political speech-writers. They love fragments. In Tony Blair's 1998 oration to the Labour party, there were over a hundred fragments. He is often laughed at for this, but fragments have their uses: they make perfect soundbites.
- 'So that no child is left behind.'
- 'Education, education, education.'
For certain types of writing, including novels and journalism, fragments are very useful. In chemistry essays, however, sentences need to be complete.
Here is an easy way of identifying fragments:- Pretend your sentence is the only sentence on the page.
- Read it aloud.
- If it leaves you feeling as though there is something missing, or it makes no sense without another sentence beside it, it is probably a fragment.
Correcting a fragment is not hard. Often, the fragment just needs joining to the sentence of which it clearly forms a part:
sentence with fragment
- This results in easier excitation of an electron from the filled orbital to the empty hybridized orbital. Weakening the transition metal-alkyl bond. (one sentence, one fragment)
- This results in easier excitation of an electron from the filled orbital to the empty hybridized orbital, weakening the transition metal-alkyl bond. (one sentence)
- It failed.
- The battery failed.
Task | Task Type | Difficulty |
---|---|---|
Task 1 | Free text | Easier |
Task 2 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 3 | Free text | Easier |
Task 4 | Multiple choice | Moderate |
Task 5 | Free text | More Challenging |
Task 6 | Free text | More Challenging |
Task 7 | Multiple choice | Moderate |
Task 8 | Multiple choice | Easier |