SAT Reading & Writing: Subject-Predicate Clarity and Sentence Fragments
29+ practice questions in Praczo
The concept, explained
- 1
A complete sentence requires at least one independent clause: a subject + a predicate (verb) that expresses a complete thought.
- 2
A sentence fragment is missing a subject, a verb, or expresses an incomplete thought ("Because the storm intensified." — dependent clause only).
- 3
Fragments can be fixed by adding the missing element or by connecting the fragment to an independent clause.
- 4
A dependent clause alone is never a complete sentence, even if it is long.
- 5
Run-ons occur when two or more independent clauses are improperly joined — fix with a period, semicolon, or conjunction.
- ✗ Treating long sentences as automatically correct — length does not guarantee completeness.
- ✗ Confusing a verbal phrase ("Running down the hall") with a complete sentence — a gerund or participle cannot serve as the main verb.
SAT-style practice
Which of the following is a complete sentence?
Ready to master this concept?
Praczo tracks your mastery on all 179 SAT concepts — not just broad topics. One sample question is a start; drilling to mastery is how scores move.
3-day free trial — no credit card required