Okay, here’s the deal. I work in a job which sometimes requires that we answer email and we get quality scores based on how well we do them. Recently the powers that be (in their infinite wisdom, don’cha know :rolleyes:) have decreed that we set MS Word to the “Casual” setting for grammar check. Okay, except that Word then says that the following sentence is a fragment:
“Thank you for contacting (COMPANY) with your interest in the (PRODUCT.)”
Now, I’m of the opinion that the above is not a fragment, but a complete sentence and MS Word is showing its inadequacy. Am I right, or is there something here that I’m not seeing due to my length of time away from an English class?
Thanks for your attention to my piddly ass little problem…
That’s weird, I put it into my version of Word and there were no problems.
However, if I were judging, I would say that no, it is not a fragment. Word is probably objecting to your use of the passive form of the verb and doesn’t know how to express itself properly. I regularly get fragment when my stupid grammar check can’t really tell me what it objects to.
I find Word’s “grammar check” to be highly unreliable. My problems with Word usually surface when it mistakes a noun like a verb and vice versa. I’m thinking, however, that it might not see “thank you” as a verb simply because you’ve omitted the person pronoun from the front by writing “thank you” instead of “we thank you” or “I thank you”. So Word might see your sentence as akin to “Apple for contacting company…” which would definitely be a fragment.
I’m with you guys, I think Word is full of crap… but the problem is that when I point out that it is not IN FACT a fragment, and suggest that perhaps a MicroSlave product is not the best reference regarding grammar I get this “deer in the headlights” look and the mindless reiteration that “well, it says ‘fragment’ so you can’t use it.” Shit, anyone got a brain I could borrow so these drones could share it around for part of the day each so they can learn what it’s like to be in the positive numbers, IQ-wise?
You’re right – it’s not a fragment. The “We” at the beginning is understood, just like the “You” at the beginning of imperative sentences (“Go away!” is actually “You go away!”).
But, since the people who write the checks say it is, then come up with something else. Perhaps add in the unvoiced “We.”
“Thank you for contacting (company) about or regarding the product” would be better than “with”. “With” sounds like they took thier interest and used it to contact you.
How about: “We here at (company) appriciate your interest in (product).”
There is no passive verb in that sentence. I don’t like the “with” clause either, but that doesn’t make it a fragment. If it is objecting to the “thank you” because it lacks a subject, tough. It has the form (though not the meaning) of an imperative and imperatives are perfectly normal in English. I say, so much the worse for Word (which I have never used, although my wife uses it all the time, cursing all the while). (She has no choice; she has to use what her customers want.)
Not a fragment. But agree with “with” suggestion. In my opinion, it’s not the right word. I normally contact somebody about something (as Manda stated). I don’t think “contact with” is a valid construction in this case, but I may be wrong.
No argument here that the original sentence is infelicitous, but that’s a nitpick compared to convincing brain dead false authority-genuflecting “quality” specialists that it’s not a fragment.
So I guess I’m just here surveying my kingdom through my single eye, eh?
I tried it in Word 97 and got the “fragment” message. As others have suggested, adding the understood “We” to the beginning of the sentence eliminated the message.
It is definitely not a fragment.
Word’s grammar check is ridiculous most of the time, whatever mode it’s in. Get a good grammar book and keep it handy.
And the “with” is a little hinky!
