One word sentence fragment

1. What is a Sentence Fragment?

As you probably know, a fragment is a small piece of something. Likewise, a sentence fragment is a just a piece of a sentence that’s become detached or separated from the rest. On its own, it’s an incomplete sentence, and so it’s sometimes called a fragment sentence. Most of the time, a fragment is the result of a misplaced period that separates certain words or information from a sentence’s main clause. Since every sentence needs a main clause, anything without one is a sentence fragment.

Sentence fragments happen more often than you might think, especially for developing writers. Here are some common ways they tend to show up, with the fragments in purple:

• I went to the store. Because I wanted a soda.      Fragment
• Starbucks Coffee comes in three sizes. Venti, Grande, and Tall.      Fragment
• Jane got to the store in 10 minutes. Arriving just before it closed.      Fragment
• There are lots of great candies. Like chocolate, caramel, sour, and gummy.      Fragment

3. Ways that Sentence Fragments Occur

Sentence fragments are easily avoidable mistakes. The main ways that they happen are when we misplace punctuation in a way that cuts off a main clause, or when we try to use dependent clauses as full sentences. So, any incomplete sentence is a fragment. But, the good thing is that they are easy to spot and easier to fix!

a. Dependent Clauses

By themselves, dependent clauses are always sentence fragments because they don’t express complete thoughts on their own. They can’t be full sentences because they are “dependent” on independent clauses to make sense. So, without an independent clause (the main clause), a dependent clause is a fragment. Let’s make that easier to understand with this example:

• I picked apples today. When I was at the local orchard.      Fragment

Here, the independent clause is a full sentence. But, dependent clause “at the local orchard” doesn’t make any sense on its own—it’s just a fragment of a complete thought. So, we need to piece it together with the independent clause:

• I picked apples today when I was at the local orchard.      Complete!

By attaching the fragment to an independent clause, we now have a complete sentence! Let’s try another example:

• While I was apple-picking. I saw 3 different kinds of apples.      Fragment
• While I was apple picking, I saw 3 different kinds of apples.      Complete!

Again, the dependent clause doesn’t make sense: “while I was apple-picking” isn’t a full sentence. But, by combining it with the independent clause, we fix the fragment.

b. Misplaced Periods

You now know that every sentence needs a main (independent) clause. When words get cut off from a main clause by a period, they turn into a fragment. Sometimes that may be a few words—when that happens, the fragment is really just the result of a period in the wrong place. In most situations, a misplaced period happens when a writer uses a period instead of another type of punctuation, like a comma or a colon.

Here’s what happens when you misplace an extra period:

• I think I will make a pie. Later on tonight.      Fragment
• I think I will make a pie later on tonight.      Complete!

“Later on tonight” is a fragment because it doesn’t have a subject or a predicate (it is not an independent clause). So, in this example, the period is not necessary—it breaks the sentence up into an independent clause and a fragment. Removing the period fixes that! Here’s another:

• I went apple picking. With my friends Jane and Sally. Fragment
• I went apple picking with my friends Jane and Sally. Complete!

Here’s what happens when you use a period instead of a colon:

• The store has two types of apples. Macintosh and Granny Smith. Fragment
• The store has three types of apples: Macintosh and Granny Smith. Complete!

• I will probably make 3 pies. Caramel Apple, Apple Walnut, and Apple Berry. Fragment
• I will probably make 3 pies: caramel Apple, Apple Walnut, and Apple Berry. Complete!

When a period is used instead of a colon, you’re only left with a fragment that has a list of things. Since the fragment doesn’t have a subject or a predicate, it can’t be a full sentence.

And here’s what happens when you use a period instead of a comma:

• They had a lot types of apples. Such as Macintosh and Granny Smith. Fragment
• There had a lot of types of apples, such as Macintosh and Granny Smith. Complete!

Again, the second part of the sentence doesn’t have a subject or a predicate. It’s a dependent clause, and needs the first part of the sentence to make sense—we just need a comma, not a period, to connect them!

4. How to Avoid Fragments

Now you know that a sentence fragment happens when we don’t write in complete sentences, or we break sentences up when we don’t need to. Therefore, the way to avoid fragments is to simply make sure we write in full sentences and express complete thoughts. We do this by being able to recognize dependent clauses and fix misplaced periods that break off words from their main clause.

a. Recognizing Clauses

Every sentence needs a subject-predicate combination (a clause), but, to be a full sentence, it needs at least one independent clause. That’s why on its own, a dependent clause is a sentence fragment. While dependent clauses do have a subject-predicate combination, they don’t express a complete thought, and because it’s not a complete thought, a dependent clause leaves an unanswered question. Look at these examples:

• Sally lost her phone.      Complete thought
• While she was apple-picking.      What happened?

The first sentence makes sense—the subject Sally lost her phone. But the second example doesn’t express a complete thought, and only gives us a fragment of the information. Even though it has a subject (she) and a predicate (was apple-picking), it leaves the question “what happened while she was apple picking?” Without knowing the answer, we don’t know what’s going on. This is a dependent clause. To fix it, we need to answer the question:

• While she was apple-picking, Sally lost her phone.

As you can see, attaching the independent clause “Sally lost her phone” tells what happened “while she was apple picking.” Now, it’s a complete thought and a full sentence.

b. Putting Periods in their Place

Fragments aren’t only dependent clauses—as discussed, they can happen when a group of words gets cut off from a sentence’s main clause—usually from using an extra period. When a period needlessly breaks up a sentence, it can leave words floating around where they don’t belong:

• Sally used three spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

This list of three things doesn’t have a subject or a predicate. In cases like this, the words just need to be connected to the main clause. So, the fragment can be corrected just by fixing or removing a misplaced period:

• Sally used three spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

But how can you tell when a period is in the wrong spot? Well, that’s easy! You just need to remember a period’s purpose—to show what’s called a “full stop.” So, what does that mean, and how can it help?

Basically…

• A period works like a stop sign—when you see one, you need to come to a full stop on the road.
• Likewise, when you see a period, you should come to a complete stop in your speaking or reading before continuing to the next sentence.

But…

• Imagine if there was a stop sign in the middle of the highway or the road when you really didn’t need one—it would definitely be noticeable, and would cause a lot of problems for drivers by breaking up the road in the wrong spots!
• In the same way, a period in the wrong place would make you stop at the wrong time.

So…

• To fix a fragment, you just need to figure out where the stop belongs or (doesn’t belong).
• A period shouldn’t cut off words or a dependent clause from the main clause—so, that stop (a period) shouldn’t come between them! If it does, you’ve got a fragment.

Overall, remember this—if you read a sentence and it sounds too short or doesn’t make sense, then it’s probably a fragment!

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An incomplete group of words punctuated as if it were a sentence is called a
sentence fragment or a fragmentary sentence. A sentence fragment
usually has either the subject, or the predicate, or both the subject and predicate missing.

It is essential to avoid sentence fragments in your writings. Whenever you are in doubt about a
particular sentence ask yourself: Does the group of words contain both a subject and a predicate?
Does it express a complete thought?

The following diagram shows some examples of sentence fragments. Scroll down the page for
more examples of sentence fragments and how to avoid them.

Common Types Of Sentence Fragments

Missing Subject

Very often the subject of the sentence is missing. The following sentence fragment does not tell
who it is that the writer is talking about. The sentence can be completed by adding the subject
The president.

Example:
Met with the people. (This is a sentence fragment — missing subject)
The president met with the people. (This is a complete sentence)

Missing Predicate

Sometimes the predicate is missing. The following sentence fragment does not have a predicate.
The sentence can be completed by adding the predicate
was loud.

Example:
The sound from the room. (This is a sentence fragment — missing predicate)
The sound from the room was loud. (This is a complete sentence)

Dependent Clauses Or Subordinate Clauses Written As A Sentence

In some cases, sentence fragments may have a subject and a verb, but it does not form a complete thought.

Example:
Because he lost his car keys.
After they finished dinner.
Since you were not at home.

All the above sentence fragments are not able to stand on their own. They are called dependent
clauses or subordinate clauses. We can complete the sentences by adding more information —
independent clauses.

Example:
Because he lost his car keys, he had to catch the bus home. (He had to catch the bus home
because he lost his car keys.)

After they finished dinner, they went to the movies. (They went to the movies after they
finished dinner.)

Since you were not home, I left a note at your door. (I left a note at your door since
you were not home.)

Relative pronouns (which, that, who, whom, whose)
and subordinate conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses. These
little words can change a complete thought to a fragment.

Example:
John completed the job. (sentence)
Unless John completed the job. (fragment)
John, who completed the job. (fragment)

Complete Sentences And Fragments

Example:
Each group of words below is a fragment. Tell whether the subject or predicate is missing.

1. Sat in the front row.
2. The man in the house across the street.
3. After the game.
4. Found the screwdriver in the garage.
5. Under my bed.
6. Mr. Jones had a picnic with his wife.
7. Plays the flute very well.
8. The cute little kitten.
9. The sink was full of dishes.
10. During the second half.
11. Searched every corner of the house.
12. I am excited!

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Sentence Skills (Recognizing Fragments)

This video will help you figure out whether a sentence is truly a complete sentence.

A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It will begin with a capital letter and end with a
period but will not include the three necessary components of a sentence:

1. a verb
2. a subject
3. a complete thought

Every sentence must pass three requirements before you can call it complete.
Requirement #1 — Find the verb.

Every sentence must have a verb. Verb express action or link information to the subject.
Requirement #2 — Find the subject.

If you find an action verb in the sentence, the subject is whoever or whatever is doing that action.
Requirement #3: — Find the complete thought.

Make sure that a word group is not a subordinate clause.

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Examples of sentence fragments and how to fix them

To be a sentence, a group of words must consist of at least one full independent clause.

An independent clause has a subject and a verb and is a complete thought.
1: Some fragments lack a subject, verb or both.
2: Some fragments are clauses that contain a subject and a verb but begin with a subordinate word.
Subordinate words include: after, although, because, before, if so, that, though, unless, until, when, where, who, and which.
3: A fragment may simply need to be attached to a nearby sentence.

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Sentence

Here we look at

• sentence fragments
• comma splices
• run-on sentences

and how to fix them.

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Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences

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Avoiding and Correcting Sentence Fragments

This video reviews the difference between sentences and sentence fragments, as well as how to
revise sentence fragments into complete sentences.How to avoid and correct sentence fragments
(or incomplete sentences) in writing.

• Show Video Lesson

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Main Sentence Fragment Takeaways:

• When a group of words doesn’t form a complete thought, that’s a sentence fragment.
• Fragments are often missing a subject or verb.
• Even though some fragments have punctuation, they are still incomplete sentences.
• Since dependent clauses can’t stand on their own, they are a type of sentence fragment.
• Since independent clauses are complete sentences, they are not fragments.
• Watch out for participle phrases and appositives when you create sentences.
• Easily fix a fragment by revising your words to include a missing subject or verb. Or, you can attach the fragment to an existing complete sentence.

You can’t tell half a story without annoying someone. In the same way, nor can you write half a sentence. First, we’ll look at the sentence fragment definition and the types of fragments. Then, we’ll show you how to spot them with sentence fragment examples as well as the easiest ways to fix fragments fast.

What is a Sentence Fragment?

A sentence fragment is a group of words that look like a sentence but is not. It is missing an element like a subject or a verb, making it incomplete. A sentence fragment may be punctuated to look like a complete sentence, but it doesn’t express a complete thought and can’t stand on its own. Consider the sample clauses and sentences below:

There are two types of sentence fragments: a missing-subject fragment and a missing-verb fragment. A missing-subject fragment is a group of words without a main subject. For example, “ran for president” instead of “Carl ran for president”. Similarly, a missing-verb fragment is a group of words that lacks averb. For instance, “Georgia on the shore” instead of “Georgia is on the shore”. Here are more examples:

What is a Fragment Missing?

A fragment is missing a subject or a verb. As a result, fragments fail to form a complete thought. For example, a missing-subject fragment is a group of words without a main subject (“ran for president” instead of “Carl ran for president“). Similarly, a missing-verb fragment is a group of words that lacks a verb (“Georgia on the shore” instead of “Georgia is on the shore“).

What is an Example of a Sentence Fragment?

An example of a sentence fragment is “took Chris’ bike” because it doesn’t form a complete thought. When you say this, your audience is left wondering what you truly mean. What’s more, it’s missing a verb (fragments are often missing a subject or a verb). Here’s another example:

Sentence fragment:Than her sister ate

Whose sister are we referencing? Why was the word ‘than’ included?

Let’s revise this fragment and make it correct:

How Do You Fix a Sentence Fragment?

There are three main ways to fix a fragment by turning it into a complete sentence. First, try adding the missing subject or verb (Someone tookChris’ bike.). Next, try combining it with or attaching it to a complete sentence (We still aren’t sure who took Chris’ bike).

Sentence fragments occur commonly in blog posts and casual conversations. Unfortunately, they aren’t grammatically correct and can confuse others. Make sure your audience knows exactly what you mean by avoiding fragmented sentences.

Here are additional examples of sentence fragments and how to fix them:

📝 You can identify a sentence fragment by looking for a missing subject or verb.

What are the Four Types of Fragments?

There are actually more than four types of fragments. Types of sentence fragments include dependent or subordinate clause, participle phrase, infinitive, afterthought, lonely verb (missing-verb fragment), and appositive. All of these are types of fragments because they fail to express a complete thought despite containing punctuation, a subject, and a verb.

Lonely Verb Fragmented Sentences

Lonely verb fragments have this name because they are a phrase without a subject. In other words, the subject is missing and as a result, the verb is alone. Since complete sentences express a complete thought as well as have a subject and a verb, missing-subject fragments can’t be complete sentences.

How to fix it:

Participle Fragments

Usually, you can easily spot a participle phrase because they tend to begin with a word that ends in –ing (gerund) or –ed (participle). We consider these fragments because they don’t express a complete thought, either.

How to fix it:

Dependent/Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses are also called dependent clauses because they can’t stand on their own without an independent clause to give them meaning. Even though they contain a subject, a verb, and a subordinating conjunction, they are not considered complete sentences because they don’t express complete thoughts.

How to fix it:

Appositive Fragments

These types of fragmented sentences rename the noun, or describe it using different words and characteristics. Because their main function is to help provide additional detail and clarity, they can’t stand on their own as a main or complete thought.

How to fix it:

Infinitive Fragments

This type of phrase begins with the infinitive form of a verb. Since all infinitives in English take the form to + infinitive verb (to think), infinitive phrases and fragments begin with the word to.

How to fix it:

Afterthought Fragments

This type of incomplete sentence usually begins with a transition word like one of the following: for instance, for example, except, such as, like. They are not complete thoughts because they tend to add more detail to something the author said previously, or add something that the speaker forgot to include.

How to fix it:

Is a Sentence Fragment a Dependent Clause?

Many fragmented sentences are dependent clauses. A dependent clause is a clause that cannot function without an independent clause. An independent clause can stand alone.

The examples above are incomplete sentences because they need independent clauses. That’s why they are dependent clauses and sentence fragments.

How Do You Know if a Sentence is a Fragment?

You know a sentence is a fragment when it doesn’t express a complete thought. Often, phrases are fragments because they don’t contain a subject or a verb. However, even if the fragmented sentence contains a subject and a verb, it can’t be a complete sentence if it doesn’t express a complete thought (the fragment “Kids cleaning downstairs” instead of the complete sentence “I think the kids are cleaning the floors downstairs“).

1. Check Your Verb

Does your sentence have a verb? If yes, is the verb the correct tense?

A sentence fragment often contains no verb. When a fragment does have a verb, the verb is often used incorrectly.

2. Identify Your Subject

Who or what is the subject of your sentence? Can your audience easily identify this subject, or is it implied?

A correctly formatted sentence needs a clear subject. Your readers should know what you’re referencing without searching for contextual clues.

3. Look for Participle Phrases

A sentence should not begin with a participle phrase. A participle phrase is a verb that ends in -ed or -ing.

4. Watch out for Dependent Clauses

A dependent or subordinate clause cannot stand on its own. A sentence that begins with a subordinator, such as while or because, might be a fragment. You should also watch for sentences that begin with relative pronouns, such as when or that.

5. Avoid Appositives

Appositives are noun phrases that follow a previous sentence. An appositive describes a noun or pronoun that was mentioned in an earlier conversation or paragraph.

Is Stop a Fragment?

Stop is not a sentence fragment. This might be confusing since sentence fragments are usually incomplete thoughts that are missing a subject or a verb; the command “stop” might seem like a verb without a subject. However, the subject is actually implied or understood, meaning it’s contained in the way we form the verb. Therefore, “stop” is not a fragment because it expresses a complete thought and an implied subject as well as contains a verb.

For example, imagine you are sitting on a train and there is a small boy in the seat behind you. The child keeps kicking your chair and disturbing you.

Then, you turn around and say, “Please stop.” It’s understood that you’re referring to the boy (subject) and requesting that he cease kicking (complete thought).

Is a Question a Fragment?

A question can be a fragment, but this isn’t always the case. A sentence fragment is a group of words that fails to express a complete thought. Often, this is because the phrase doesn’t contain a subject or verb. A fragment might look like a sentence because it contains punctuation like a question mark (?) or exclamation point (!). Even still, if it doesn’t express a complete thought, it’s a fragment (the fragment “By the door?” versus the complete sentence “Should I leave these by the door?“).

What is an Intentional Fragment?

An intentional fragment is a phrase the author deliberately chose not to completenotwithstanding the grammatical error. In other words, the author intended to write an incomplete sentence. Like all fragments, an intentional fragment is a group of words that doesn’t express a complete thought. Intentional fragments are a conscious (or intentional) stylistic choice rather than an accidental grammatical error.

You may see intentional fragments in creative writing like plays, novels, and poems. Or, in casual everyday conversations and informal writing like texts (or like this sentence and the last one 😉).

What Causes a Sentence Fragment?

A sentence fragment occurs when your thought is not complete. Your sentence may lack a verb, subject, or both. Many writers and readers think of verbs as action words. However, verbs can also join together other parts of a sentence. These verbs are called helping verbs.

If your sentence requires a helping verb, you must add one. Otherwise, your sentence is not a complete thought.

How Well do you Know Sentence Fragments? Take our Quiz Below!

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