4/15/2024 0 Comments Whay does a sentence fragment meanWhile “She swam” could be said to be a complete sentence, the reader instinctively feels something is lacking. However, a subject and verb alone are sometimes not enough to make a full sentence. What is a sentence fragment?Ī sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence, that is a sentence that lacks a subject and a verb. Which is why this little essay begins with a definition. And as any competent wordsmith knows, if you’re going to break the rules, you must fully understand them. Like any controversial subject, it’s complex. If sentence fragments are an integral part of our linguistic reality, are they acceptable in fiction? The answer is yes, but only sometimes. Which brings us to the crux of the dilemma. Fancy it?” In short, while we know in theory they are wrong, in the right context sentence fragments can feel absolutely right. And while she might shout “ I’m going out” at his retreating figure, she might also equally text a friend the following: “Bad day. A sullen teen, limiting himself to as few words as possible might grunt to his mother: “Going out”. Take, for instance: “Because you’re worth it”, “The beer of kings”, or “Finger lickin’ good”. If you are telling a story, a few fragments might suit your purpose and style well, but if you are writing an essay or crafting a business document, it’s best to steer clear of them.Catchy, succinct and attention grabbing, sentence fragments are everywhere in advertising. And he did is a sentence beginning with a conjunction, and it’s a one-sentence paragraph.Īs always, judge for yourself who your audience is and how much wiggle room you have for breaking the rules. Your high school English teacher would find three things wrong with this description. All the same, he was determined to astound us. No one thought that Ethan could make the jump it was just too high. Journalists, bloggers, and fiction writers often use them. That said, a fragment within a clear context can sometimes serve a valid dramatic purpose. Without question, you should avoid sentence fragments in formal situations and academic writing. READ MORE: When (and how) to fix sentence fragments Stylistic sentence fragments Fragments can sound as if they are carelessly blurted out. It’s a subtle psychological difference, but if you are corresponding in a formal setting, it is worth taking care to write complete sentences. Adding the subject will build a stronger, more confident-sounding sentence: Another famous example of a short-but-complete sentence is “Jesus wept.”Īvoiding sentence fragments not only makes your writing easier to read, but it can also make you sound more polished in polite correspondence. Nothing in the sentence demands further explanation. I ran may be a short thought, but it has a subject ( I) and a verb ( ran). But that doesn’t mean that short sentences can’t be complete. In that example, making the sentence longer was the solution. Now the fragment has become a dependent clause attached to a sentence that has a subject ( the party) and a verb ( was canceled). To complete it, we need further explanation:īecause of the rain, the party was canceled. It leaves us wondering what happened because of the rain. On its own, because of the rain doesn’t form a complete thought. Here is a glaring example of a sentence fragment: For example, you could hide under their beds and wait for dark.īoth remedies result in structurally sound sentences. There are many ways to frighten little brothers.
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