What Is a Sentence Fragment? | Examples & Definition
A sentence fragment is a piece of writing that looks like a sentence but is technically a grammatical mistake. This is normally because it is missing a subject or a verb.
Sentence fragments can usually be spotted quite easily because they do not express a single thought. They always lack a piece of information that is key to understanding the meaning.
- My lucky day.
- Since it was their turn.
- The green, green grass of home.
What is a sentence fragment?
A sentence needs at least a subject and a verb to be a proper sentence. The verb describes the action that takes place, and the subject is the person, place, or thing that is performing the action (e.g., “Tom walks”).
One way of identifying a sentence fragment is to ask yourself if it expresses a complete thought. In the following example, “Running late” doesn’t tell us who is late—it has no subject. The corrected version fills in the information that was missing.
- Running late.
- I’m running late.
Often, a sentence is made up of different clauses. A clause that can work on its own as a simple sentence is called an independent clause. An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses a single thought.
Gill went to the beach.
An independent clause can become a dependent clause if a subordinating conjunction is added. There’s nothing wrong with a dependent clause if it is attached to an independent clause. But if a dependent clause is not connected to an independent clause, it is a sentence fragment.
- I heard the song on the radio. [independent clause]
- After I heard the song on the radio. [sentence fragment]
- I went and bought the CD after I heard the song on the radio. [independent and dependent clause]
Common types of sentence fragment
Sentence fragments are very common in spoken English, and there are many ways they can creep into your writing. There are some common categories of sentence fragments.
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Missing subject |
|
| Missing verb |
|
| Dependent clause |
|
This is often the case with conjunctions that refer to time (e.g., “when,” “before,” and “after”) or that suggest a causal relationship (e.g., “because,” “since”).
How to fix a sentence fragment
In most cases you can fix a sentence fragment by adding the missing verb or subject, or both.
- Went to school today.
- I went to school today.
- My lucky day!
- Today is my lucky day!
If your sentence fragment is a dependent clause that is not attached to the clause it depends on, then change the punctuation or rewrite the clauses.
- I hate taking the bus to school. Because I never get a seat.
- I hate taking the bus to school because I never get a seat.
- Because I never get a seat, I hate taking the bus to school.
- If at first you don’t succeed. Try, try again.
- If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
If the clause following “because” is essential to explaining the independent clause before it, then there is no comma.
Putting a comma before “because” suggests that the following reason is less important to your point.
Are sentence fragments ever OK?
We use sentence fragments all the time when we speak. You will also often find sentence fragments in creative writing. This can be to make dialogue more realistic or for dramatic effect (e.g.,“He stopped suddenly in the darkness. Nothing. Nothing but silence”).
In academic writing, however, it’s best to avoid using sentence fragments.
Frequently asked questions about sentence fragments
- How can I identify a sentence fragment?
-
At its simplest, a sentence contains a subject and a verb (e.g., “Sarah woke up”). If there is no verb, or no subject, then it’s usually a sentence fragment.
Another way of testing whether you’re dealing with a sentence fragment is to ask yourself if it expresses a complete thought. If it doesn’t, then it is a sentence fragment (e.g., “No luck today”).
Look for clauses that leave you needing more information to fully understand them (e.g., “Yesterday at the hospital”).
- Can a sentence contain a subject and a verb but still be a sentence fragment?
-
Yes, a statement might have a subject and a verb but still be a sentence fragment. This is especially the case with dependent clauses. When a dependent clause is not connected to an independent clause, it is a sentence fragment:
- When Alex had a birthday party.
- When Alex had a birthday party, I was able to help with the arrangements.
To help you decide, you need to ask yourself if the clause expresses a complete thought (e.g., “When Alex had a birthday party, I was able to help with the arrangements”) or if there is information missing (e.g., “When Alex had a birthday party”).
- How can I fix a sentence fragment error?
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Sometimes it might take some rewriting to make a sentence fragment better. Rearranging the clauses makes sure that there is no sentence fragment:
- I missed the game on Saturday. Because I had broken my foot.
- Because I had broken my foot, I missed the game on Saturday.
In some cases, you may need to add a missing subject:
- Went shopping.
- I went shopping.
In other cases, you might need to add a subject and a verb:
- Running through the park in the early morning.
- I love running through the park in the early morning.
- What is the difference between a sentence and a sentence fragment?
-
In most cases, a sentence contains at least a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.
A sentence fragment is usually missing a subject, a verb, or both (e.g., “Wondering what to cook for dinner”).
In some cases, a clause might have both a subject and a verb, but also a subordinating conjunction. This makes it a dependent clause on its own, which is a sentence fragment (e.g., “After the second Act”).
A simple question to ask yourself to test if you have a sentence fragment is whether the clause contains a complete thought. If it does, then there is probably no problem.
