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Sentence basics

Using the correct verb with a subject

Pronouns - singular or plural two

Compounded and non-compounded subjects

Pairs of things

Quantity describing expressions

Expletive constructions

Abbreviations

I.e. versus e.g

Mr and Mrs Smith

Date and time abbreviations

Name initials

Abbreviations of units

Avoiding sentence fragments

When its OK to use sentence fragments

Capitalisation

Proper nouns

The first word of any sentence

Capitalisation of titles

I gets capitalised

Using italics

To make something stand out

Onomatopoeia

Titles

When you are talking about the word itself not using it for what it represents

Names of vehicles

Short sentences

Joining parallel sentence subjects or objects

Compounding parallel objects

Compounding parallel subjects

Linking two sentences together more closely

The simple linking relationship

The contrast relationship

Intentionally subordinating a clause to another

Connecting using an absolute phrase

Connecting using appositive phrases

Connecting using a participial phrase

Using the correct sequence of tenses

Writing numbers correctly

Numbers of units

Decimal and fractional numbers

The number zero

Approximate numbers

Common phrases

Starts of sentences

Multiple numbers one after the other

Writing lists

Lists

Bullet point lists

Numbered lists

Avoiding sentence fragments

A sentence fragment is one that doesn’t have an independent clause - a clause that can stand by itself. Here’s one example of a sentence fragment:

Although he is tired.

One reason why people sometimes write sentence fragments is because it’s OK to use a fragment when you’re talking with someone else. Here’s a perfectly acceptable conversation:

But when you’re writing a normal essay, you want to avoid fragments just about all of the time.

One common cause of a sentence fragment is having a complete sentence, but then unintentionally turning it into a fragment by putting a dependent word somewhere within it:

Because the Tyrannosaurus Rex beat the larger Giganotosaurus.

This is a sentence fragment, but only because of the stupid ‘because’ at the front of it. Get rid of that and you’re fine:

The Tyrannosaurus Rex beat the larger Giganotosaurus.

You can also accidentally create a fragment if you get so involved with describing something in a sentence that you forget to have either the subject or the verb in a proper subject-verb relationship:

The treetops, swaying in the gentle breeze.

I’ve got carried away with my description of the trees in this sentence fragment, but have forgotten to provide a verb to go with the subject ‘treetops’. Here it is as a complete sentence with a verb:

The treetops are beautiful, swaying in the gentle breeze.

Or you can do the opposite thing and provide the verb, but forget to provide or even imply the subject:

Nurtured through the hostile mountain passes to try and keep them alive.

In this sentence, we’ve got a verbal phrase, but we’ve forgotten to provide a subject that goes with this verbal phrase. A complete sentence version of this is:

The elephants were nurtured through the hostile mountain passes to try to keep them alive.

Click here to move on to the next topic: When its OK to use sentence fragments