38 Sentence Fragments

Sentence fragments are often used to make writing sound conversational, as in this Facebook status update:

Realizing that there are no edible bagels in this part of Oregon. Sigh.

Fragments—groups of words that are punctuated as sentences but are not sentences—are often seen in intentionally informal writing and in public writing, such as advertising, that aims to attract attention or give a phrase special emphasis. But you should think carefully before using fragments in academic or professional writing, where some readers might regard them as errors.

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Editing for Sentence Fragments

AT A GLANCE

A group of words must meet three criteria to form a complete sentence. If it does not meet all three, it is a fragment. Revise a fragment by combining it with a nearby sentence or by rewriting it as a complete sentence.

1. A sentence must have a subject. (31j)

2. A sentence must have a verb, not just a verbal. A verbal cannot function as a sentence’s verb without an auxiliary verb. (31k and l)

VERB The terrier is barking.
VERBAL The terrier barking.

3. Unless it is a question, a sentence must have at least one clause that does not begin with a subordinating word. (31h) Following are some common subordinating words:

although if when
as since where
because that whether
before though which
how unless who