Fragments

What are Sentence Fragments?

A sentence fragment is a word or group of words that cannot function as a complete sentence. Sentence fragments are common in informal writing and everyday speech. However, academic writing must communicate ideas as professionally as possible. For this reason, it is important to communicate in complete sentences.

As a reminder, a complete sentence requires an independent clause that contains a complete subject and a complete predicate.

Sentence fragments generally occur for the following reasons:

The sentence fragment is missing a complete subject.
The sentence fragment is missing a complete predicate.
The sentence fragment is missing both a complete subject and a complete predicate.
The sentence fragment is a dependent clause.

Sentence fragments without complete subjects

A sentence fragment can occur due to the lack of a complete subject.

Incorrect: I caught a cold right before my honeymoon. Which totally sucked.

In the above example, Which totally sucked is a sentence fragment. It contains a complete predicate (totally sucked) but no subject.

How to correct this type of fragment

Incorporate the fragment into a nearby sentence.

Incorrect: I caught a cold right before my honeymoon. Which totally sucked.
Correct: I caught a cold right before my honeymoon, which totally sucked.

Rephrase the fragment so it has a subject.

Incorrect: I caught a cold right before my honeymoon. Which totally sucked.
Correct: I caught a cold right before my honeymoon. The timing totally sucked.

Sentence fragments without complete predicates

A sentence fragment can occur due to the lack of a complete predicate.

Incorrect: Veronica had a great time at the beach. The big blue open water.

In the above example, The big blue open water is a sentence fragment. This sentence fragment can function as a complete subject, but it lacks a complete predicate.

How to correct this type of fragment

Add a predicate to the fragment.

Incorrect: Veronica had a great time at the beach. The big blue open water.
Correct: Veronica had a great time at the beach. The big blue open water calmed her soul.

Add a subject and predicate to the fragment.

Incorrect: Veronica had a great time at the beach. The big blue open water.
Correct: Veronica had a great time at the beach. She loved the big blue open water.

Incorporate the fragment into a nearby sentence.

Incorrect: Veronica had a great time at the beach. The big blue open water.
Correct: Veronica had a great time at the beach, relishing the big blue open water.

Sentence fragments with neither complete subjects nor complete predicates

A sentence fragment can occur when a group of words functions as neither a complete subject nor a complete predicate.

Incorrect: Jamie’s mother said she would make sure he got into college. No matter the cost.

In the above example, No matter the cost is a sentence fragment. It is neither a complete subject nor a complete predicate.

How to correct this type of fragment

Incorporate the fragment into a nearby sentence.

Incorrect: Jamie’s mother said she would make sure he got into college. No matter the cost.
Correct: Jamie’s mother said she would make sure he got into college, no matter the cost.
Correct: No matter the cost, Jamie’s mother said she would make sure he got into college.

Sentence fragments that are dependent clauses

A sentence fragment can occur when a dependent clause is treated as if it were a complete sentence.

Incorrect: Helga tended the sheep. While Gretchen milked the cows.

In the above example, While Gretchen milked the cows is a sentence fragment. It contains both a complete subject (Gretchen) and a complete predicate (milked the cows). However, the presence of the word while, a subordinating conjunction, turns the group of words into a dependent clause, so it cannot function as a complete sentence.

How to correct this type of fragment

Remove the subordinating conjunction.

Incorrect: Helga tended the sheep. While Gretchen milked the cows.
Correct: Helga tended the sheep. Gretchen milked the cows.

Incorporate the fragment into a nearby sentence.

Incorrect: Helga tended the sheep. While Gretchen milked the cows.
Correct: Helga tended the sheep while Gretchen milked the cows.
Correct: While Gretchen milked the cows, Helga tended the sheep.

Coordinating Conjunction Fragments

are word groups that have a subject and a verb and begin with a coordinating conjunction: for,and, nor, but, or, yet, or so (FANBOYS).

So I had to pack the night before.
And many people believe that aliens have visited earth.
But they had some good results.

These word groups are not sentences. Although they have a subject and a predicate, they do not complete a thought. If the conjunction is not connecting something, the thought is not complete.

These can be fixed by either removing the conjunction or adding more information. Remember, if you join two complete sentences with a coordinating conjunction, a comma is needed to separate the two.

My plane left at 5:00 in the morning, so I had to pack the night before.
However, if there is only one subject or predicate, no comma is used.
Many people believe in ghosts and that aliens have visited Earth.

Relative Clause Fragments

Relative clauses are word groups that have a subject and a verb and begin with a relative pronoun:

whose that which whichever
who whoever
whom whomever
what whatever

Learning the abbreviation WTWW, WW, WW, WW will help to remember these. These are dependant clauses since they depend upon an independent clause to complete a thought and, therefore, a sentence. Relative pronouns are also conjunctions since they join parts of a sentence.

That I have always wanted to visit.
Which are green.
Wherever I play every day.

They can also be fixed by adding more information. Remember, when you use the word that, you never use a comma.

New York is a city that I have always wanted to visit.

However, you may or may not need a comma with who or which. If you need the information to understand the meaning of the sentence, you do not need a comma. If the information is just added in as extra information, you need to indicate this with commas.

Oranges which are green should not be eaten.
My guitar, which I play every day, was a gift from my father.

See Commas for more information on necessary (restrictive) and (nonrestrictive) clauses with who, which, and that.

Subordinate Conjunction Fragments

Subordinate clauses are word groups that have a subject and a verb and begin with a subordinating conjunction such as although, because, if, since, when, where, and while. A subordinate clause fragment, also called subordinating conjunction fragment, leaves the reader wondering what comes next.

Because it was raining
When I’m feeling angry
If I’m feeling blue

These word groups are not sentences. Although they have a subject and a predicate, they do not complete a thought. For this reason, they are called dependent or subordinate clauses.

They can be fixed by adding more information. Remember, if you begin a sentence with a subordinating conjunction, it is considered introductory words and a comma is needed to separate the subordinate clause from the rest of the sentence.

When I’m angry, I like to listen to music.

If the subordinating conjunction is in the middle, no comma is used since the words are no longer introducing the main clause.

I call my best friend if I’m feeling blue.