Why the phrase 'In order to study all night for her test' needs a main clause and how to fix it.

Grammar has a way of sneaking up when you least expect it. On the PACT writing tasks you’ll encounter phrases that sound purposeful and even tidy, but if the sentence trails off without a main idea, the whole line loses its bite. Here’s a friendly, practical look at one classic trap: a phrase that signals purpose but never quite delivers a complete thought.

A sentence that starts strong but ends flat

Imagine a line that begins with a hint of intention and then hangs in midair. It’s like starting a story with “To study all night for her test” but never finishing the sentence. In the real world, that kind of fragment feels unfinished, a thought left unsaid. The question you might see on a PACT-style item could present options like “In order to,” “for,” “her,” and “test?”—and the tempting choice seems to hinge on a single word. But here’s the bigger truth: the problem isn’t that one word is inherently wrong. The problem is that the line doesn’t supply a main clause—a complete idea with a subject and a finite verb that tells us what happens.

Let me explain with the big idea first: a sentence needs a home for its main thought. A leading phrase that shows purpose (“to study,” “in order to study,” or a similar opener) sets up what you want to do, but it must be followed by a main clause that says who does it and what exactly they do. Without that, you’ve got a sentence fragment, not a sentence. On the PACT tasks, that distinction matters because the scoring hinges on clear, complete thought expressed in proper sentence structure.

What went wrong here, mathematically speaking

The line in question is built to convey intention. A few of the parts may look perfectly fine in isolation:

• A purpose marker (like a phrase that signals an aim)

• A prepositional phrase that tightens the context (for her test)

• A question mark that invites curiosity

Yet, the structure stops short of a full thought. It’s a classic fragment, and fragments sneak into writing when we’re extra eager to sound concise or dramatic. The subtle trap is thinking that starting with “to study” automatically creates a complete sentence. It doesn’t. The missing ingredient is a main clause—a part of the sentence that includes a subject and a finite verb and completes the idea.

Why some explanations point to a word—like the pronoun her—as the culprit

You’ll sometimes see test explanations point to a single word as the error. In our sample, some folks highlight “her” as the problem. Here’s the nuance many writers miss: pronouns aren’t the root issue. “Her test” is perfectly natural; the real issue is the sentence’s failure to attach a main clause to the opening purpose phrase. Think of it this way: even a perfectly fine pronoun can look odd if the sentence around it never finishes a thought. The pronoun isn’t wrong; the sentence structure is incomplete. So, while the quiz’s answer might seem to target “her,” the most accurate takeaway is about the missing main clause that would anchor the whole line.

How to fix it—keep it simple, keep it complete

If you want to turn that fragment into a clean, complete sentence, the fix is straightforward: add a main clause right after the opener. Here are a few clear templates to keep in your mental toolbox:

• To study all night for her test, she reviewed her notes.

• To study all night for her test, she arranged her materials on the desk.

• To study all night for her test, she planned a quiet study space and a quick break schedule.

Notice what changed: the opening phrase remains, but now there’s a subject and a finite verb following it. The sentence has a complete thought, and the reader isn’t left hanging. If you’re aiming for variety, you can switch up the order as well:

• She reviewed her notes to study all night for her test.

• She arranged her materials to study all night for her test.

Both forms deliver clarity, and both satisfy the requirement of a main clause after a purpose-like opener. The key is ensuring that every sentence with a purpose phrase earns a home—an independent clause that tells the reader who is doing what.

A quick check you can use anywhere

Here’s a simple, friendly checklist you can run through on the fly:

• Does the sentence have a subject and a finite verb? If not, it’s probably a fragment.

• Does any leading phrase that signals purpose have a main clause right after it?

• If you can insert a subject like “she,” “they,” or “the student” and a verb like “studied,” “reviewed,” or “prepared,” then you’re likely on the right track.

• Does the line end with a question mark or a period that feels earned by a complete thought? If it feels abrupt or incomplete, revise.

A real-world analogy makes it click

Think about texting a friend. If you send, “To get there on time,” you’ll trigger confusion because your friend doesn’t know what happens next. Do you arrive early? Do you wait for someone? The equivalent in a sentence is the same: the idea needs a completion. The moment you add “she left early to get there on time,” your thought travels smoothly from intention to action, and the message lands clearly.

What this means for PACT-style items

In the world of PACT-style items, you’ll see a lot of purpose clauses and modifiers. The test isn’t just about spotting a stray word; it’s about recognizing whether the sentence delivers a full, logical thought. A leading phrase without a main clause produces a predictable red flag: it signals that the writer paused too soon. The grader looks for sentences that stand on their own, with a complete idea, and that’s exactly what a strong writer should aim for in everyday writing as well.

So, how can you carry this through to your own sentences?

• Favor clarity over cleverness when you’re unsure. A clear, complete sentence beats a stylish fragment every time.

• Don’t be afraid to switch word order to keep the sentence natural and fluent. If you find yourself starting with a purpose phrase, do a quick check: what happens next? If you can’t answer clearly with a subject and a verb, rewrite.

• Read your sentences aloud. If they feel like they’re trailing off, that’s a cue to add a main clause or restructure.

• Remember: pronouns are usually fine, but only when the sentence around them is solid.

A tiny digression that still ties back

While we’re at it, a lot of everyday writing benefits from this same discipline. Emails, notes, or social updates—people like it when you get to the point without wandering off. A crisp sentence that finishes a thought respects the reader’s time. You don’t need a fancy construction to make a strong impression; you need a complete, well-joined idea.

Two quick micro-examples to keep in mind

• Fragment: To study all night for her test.

Complete: To study all night for her test, she prepared her materials.

• Fragment: To improve her score on the test.

Complete: To improve her score on the test, she created a short review plan and gathered her notes.

Bringing it back to the bigger picture

The bottom line is simple and surprisingly practical: any sentence that starts with a purpose phrase should immediately follow with a main clause that completes the thought. The fragment, no matter how minor it looks, can chip away at readability. On PACT-style items and beyond, the habit of turning fragments into complete sentences will sharpen your communication and make your writing clearer, more confident, and more persuasive.

A parting thought

If you’re ever unsure, pause and reframe. Ask yourself: who does the action, and what exactly is happening? If you can answer with a simple subject-verb pair, you’re almost certainly on the right track. The elegance of good writing isn’t about adding complexity for its own sake—it’s about making sure the reader never has to hunt for the main idea.

So next time you draft a sentence that begins with a purpose, give it a home. A clear subject, a precise verb, and a well-placed result will do more than a clever setup ever could. And when you encounter lines like the one we started with, you’ll know exactly how to fix them without breaking the rhythm of your writing.

If you’d like, we can walk through more examples and test a few variations together. After all, practice with purpose—not fluff—tends to stick. And in the end, what you want is writing that’s easy to read, hard to forget, and unmistakably you.