Sentence Fragments
Essential Information:
1. A sentence must have a subject: ex. The professor teaches history.
2. A sentence must have conjugated verb (not just verbal*)
ex. The professor teaches the history lesson.
(conjugated verb).
ex. The professor teaching the history lesson.
(sentence fragment)
3. A sentence must be a complete thought. In other words, it must
be an independent clause, not a dependent clause.
ex. James threw the ball. (independent clause)
When James threw the ball. (sentence fragment)
What's the issue?
In academic writing, a sentence fragment attempts to masquerade as a sentence. Most often they occur when a writer mistakes a dependent clause or a verbal phrase for a sentence. Fragments confuse readers and signal poor writing.
Examples
Dependent Clause: If a clause begins with one of the following words, it is a dependent clause: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, ever since, how, if, in order that, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, what, whatever, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether, which, whichever, while, who, whom, whose, or why.
Ex. Sentence Fragment: Although she was tired (dependent clause)
Complete Sentence: Although she was tired, she still did all of her homework.
Verbal: Verbals are words formed from verbs that don't function as the main action or assertion of the sentence.
There are three kinds:
Gerund: an -ing word that functions as a noun
Ex. Sentence Fragment: Turning in your paper.
Complete Sentence: Turning in your paper on time is important
Infinitive: an unconjugated verb that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
Ex. Sentence Fragment: To give you a fair chance.
Complete Sentence: I let you know ahead of time to give you a fair chance.
Participle: an -ed or -ing word that functions as an adjective.
Ex. Sentence Fragment: Running quickly down the hall.
Complete Sentence: Running quickly down the hall, he ran smack into the girl of his dreams.
Ex. Sentence Fragment: Interested in the book.
Complete Sentence: Interested in the book, she read until 3 a.m.
Let's Practice!
Decide whether the following is a sentence fragment or not. If it is, correct it.
- Because she hadn't studied, she didn't do well on the test.
- Choosing a major.
- Even though she understood the lesson.
- To pay for college.
- Attending a university can be expensive.
Answers:
- Complete sentence
- Sentence Fragment: Choosing a major is difficult for many students.
- Sentence Fragment: Even though she understood the lesson, she made sure to review it before the test.
- Sentence Fragment: To pay for college, she relied on loans and grants.
- Complete sentence
Editor's note: This publication is derived from the shared experiences of Seattle University Writing center consultants and from definitions adapted from Thinking on Paper by V.A. Howard and J.H. Barton (William Marrow: New York, 1986).