Understanding sentence fragments
A sentence fragment is a word group that pretends to be a sentence. Sentence fragments are easy to recognize when they appear out of context, like these:
When the cat leaped onto the table.
Running for the bus.
When fragments appear next to related sentences, however, they are harder to spot.
We had just sat down to dinner. When the cat leaped onto the table.
I tripped and twisted my ankle. Running for the bus.
Recognizing sentence fragments
To be a sentence, a word group must consist of at least one full independent clause. An independent clause includes a subject and a verb, and it either stands alone or could stand alone.
To test whether a word group is a complete sentence or a fragment, use the flowchart below. By using the flowchart, you can see exactly why When the cat leaped onto the table is a fragment: It has a subject (cat) and a verb (leaped), but it begins with a subordinating word (When). Running for the bus is a fragment because it lacks a subject and a verb (Running is a verbal, not a verb).
Repairing sentence fragments
You can repair most fragments in one of two ways:
- Pull the fragment into a nearby sentence.
- Rewrite the fragment as a complete sentence.
Test for fragments
*Do not mistake verbals for verbs. A verbal is a verb form (such as walking, to act ) that does not function as a verb of a clause.
**The subject of a sentence may be you, understood but not present in the sentence.
***A sentence may open with a subordinate clause, but the sentence must also include an independent clause.
If you find any fragments, try one of these methods of revision:
- Attach the fragment to a nearby sentence.
- Rewrite the fragment as a complete sentence.