You've been told time and again not to use sentence fragments. Right? (Notice that fragment?) Generally speaking, you shouldn't use fragments because they can confuse your reader, and they sometimes don't get your point across.

How can you recognize fragments? The textbook definition says that a fragment is “a group of words that isn't a sentence.” Okay, so what constitutes a sentence? Again, the textbook definition says a sentence is a group of words that (1) has a subject, (2) has a predicate (verb), and (3) expresses a complete thought.

If a string of words doesn't have all three of the qualifications (a subject, a verb, and an expression of a complete thought), then you have a fragment rather than a sentence. That's pretty straightforward, don't you think? Take a look at these two words:

You have a subject (Spot), a verb (ran), and the words express a complete thought; in other words, you don't get confused when you read the two words by themselves. Since you have all the requirements (subject, verb, complete thought), you have a sentence.

Now, look at this group of words:

This example is a subordinate clause that's punctuated as if it were a sentence. You have a subject (Christian Hazelwood) and a verb (had), but what you don't have is a complete thought. The words serve only to introduce the main idea of the sentence. If someone said only those words to you, you'd be left hanging because you wouldn't know what the main idea was. (Although Christian Hazelwood had a new job — what? He took off for the Far East? He called in sick on his first day? He decided to elope with a billionaire and never have to work again?) The although that introduces the sentence means there should be something else to explain the first group of words.

A participial phrase often creates another common sentence fragment. Look at these examples:

Neither of these groups of words has a main clause to identify who or what is being talked about. Who was scared stiff? Who was going to the beach? Obviously, something's missing.

If you're not sure if the words you've used constitute a sentence, first write them by themselves and then ask yourself if they could be understood without something else being added. If you're still not sure, let them get cold for a while and then reread them. If you're still not sure, call a friend and say those particular words and nothing else. You know you have a fragment if your friend says something along the lines of, “And then what?”

Another good way to see if you have a fragment is to take the word group and turn it into a yes-or-no question. If you answer yes to the question, you have a sentence; if you answer no (or if the question makes no sense), you have a fragment. Look at these examples:

Did scared stiff by the intense wind and storm? No, that doesn't make sense. You have a fragment.

Read the following paragraph and see if you can spot the fragments:

Did you spot all the fragments? Take a look at:

If you had those words alone on a piece of paper, would anybody know what you meant? No — those words don't form complete thoughts.

Now, how can you correct these fragments? Usually the fragment should be connected to the sentence immediately before or after it — whichever sentence the fragment refers to. (A word of caution: Just be sure that the newly created sentence makes sense.)

The first fragment (Determined that she would make the best of a bad situation) can be corrected by hooking it on to the sentence right before it.

The corrected sentence should read:

You could also put the fragment at the beginning of a sentence:

Or you could put the fragment inside the sentence:

The lone woman, determined that she would make the best of a bad situation, trudged up the muddy riverbank.

Each of these three new sentences makes sense.

Now, look at the second fragment: Because of her family's recent run of bad luck. What about their run of bad luck? Again, if you said those words — and only those words — to someone, you'd get a blank stare; you didn't give the reason behind the because. To correct this fragment, you could tack the fragment onto the beginning or middle of the sentence that follows it in the original paragraph:

By slightly changing some wording (without changing the meaning), you could also add this fragment to the end of the sentence:

Elizabeth knew that she had to contribute to her family's finances because of her parents' recent run of bad luck.

Here's another example of possibilities for rewording a sentence when you incorporate a fragment. Take this fragment and its related sentence:

You might reword the fragment and sentence and combine them this way:

Another way you might revise is to create an appositive phrase. Take this combination of a sentence and two fragments:

It can be rewritten to read:

Here, the day after her arrival functions as an appositive phrase.

Acceptable Uses of Fragments

Formal writing generally doesn't permit you to use fragments; however, using fragments in casual writing is okay — if they don't confuse your reader. Remember that using fragments (even sparingly) depends on your audience, the restrictions of your instructor or company, and your personal writing style.

You might use fragments in short stories or novels (you've started your Great American Novel, haven't you?). A rule of thumb is that you shouldn't use them too often and you certainly shouldn't use them in any way that would puzzle your readers.

Rarely — if ever — should you use a fragment in a news story in a magazine or newspaper. If, however, you're writing an editorial, a fragment might be just what you need to get your point across.

Both Without a doubt and Probably not are fragments. But look at how much punch you'd lose if you'd worded that passage and had used complete sentences instead of fragments.

Fragments are also acceptable in bulleted or numbered lists. Take a look at the following example:

Acceptable uses of a fragment include the following:

• when you're quoting someone

• in a bulleted or numbered list

• to make a quick point — but only when the construction isn't confusing to readers

Taken individually, each of the bullets is a fragment, but its meaning is clear. In the type of writing that you do, if you're permitted (or even encouraged)to include bulleted lists, then using fragments is fine.

Sometimes you'll see a fragment intentionally used for emphasis or wry humor. Look at the title of this section and you'll see words that were deliberately constructed as fragments. Also, take a look at this example: