SAT Writing: Watch Out for Sentence Fragments
February 23, 2009 by Adam
Filed under All Posts, SAT Unlocked, Writing, Writing Multiple Choice
Complete sentences always contain both a subject and a main verb (or “predicate”).
About two times per test, SAT Writing will include question containing a ‘Sentence Fragment’ – in other words, a sentence that is simply not complete.
Incorrect:
Jesse Owens, the first man to win four gold medals in a single Olympiad, and setting world records in three of four events at the 1936 games in Berlin.Problem: The sentence is not complete because it lacks a main verb.
Correct:
Jesse Owens, the first man to win four gold medals in a single Olympiad, set world records in three of four events at the 1936 games in Berlin.
Tip:
Sentence fragment questions appear almost exclusively on Improving Sentences questions.
From SAT Unlocked, which also includes a complete list of the practice questions in The Official SAT Study Guide that test this SAT Writing rule.
This is an excellent, short lesson on telling the difference between a fragment and a sentence.