Identifying a Sentence Fragment
Question
Although the weather forecast predicted heavy rain. The crowd at the festival kept growing all afternoon.
Answer choices
- The weather forecast predicted heavy rain.
- Although the weather forecast predicted heavy rain,
- Heavy rain in the forecast.
- NO CHANGE
B Correct answer: B) Although the weather forecast predicted heavy rain,
"Although the weather forecast predicted heavy rain" is a dependent clause — it cannot stand alone as a sentence. The fix is to attach it to the next sentence with a comma: "Although the weather forecast predicted heavy rain, the crowd at the festival kept growing all afternoon." The other "fix" of dropping "although" loses the contrast the writer is making.
The other options either introduce a grammatical error or change the intended meaning. The ACT consistently rewards the most concise, grammatically correct option.
Read the sentence with each option substituted in. The version that preserves meaning while obeying the underlying rule is the correct answer; on the ACT, that is almost always the shortest option that still works.
The underlying rule
A clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction ("although," "because," "while," "since") cannot stand alone as a sentence. It must be attached to an independent clause with a comma.
Why each wrong answer is wrong
- A) The weather forecast predicted heavy rain.: This option either leaves a sentence fragment standing alone or drops the subordinating relationship between the two ideas.
- C) Heavy rain in the forecast.: This option either leaves a sentence fragment standing alone or drops the subordinating relationship between the two ideas.
- D) NO CHANGE: This option either leaves a sentence fragment standing alone or drops the subordinating relationship between the two ideas.
Study tip
Subordinating conjunctions (although, because, since, while, when, after, before, if) create dependent clauses. A dependent clause alone is a fragment; it must be attached to an independent clause.
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