What is a Sentence Fragment?

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. It usually lacks a subject, verb, or doesn’t express a complete thought. While fragments can sometimes be used for style or emphasis, they’re usually considered errors in formal writing.

For example:

• Fragment: Because I was tired.
  (This doesn’t form a complete thought. What happened because you were tired?)
• Corrected: I went to bed early because I was tired.

How to Avoid Sentence Fragments

Here are a few steps you can follow to ensure your sentences are complete:

1. Check for a Subject and Verb

A complete sentence needs both a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a verb (the action or state).

• Fragment: Running through the park. (No subject)
• Complete: She was running through the park. (Subject: She, Verb: was running)

1. Make Sure It Expresses a Complete Thought

Even with a subject and a verb, some sentences are incomplete because they depend on more information to make sense.

• Fragment: When I arrived at the party. (What happened when you arrived?)
• Complete: When I arrived at the party, everyone was dancing.

1. Be Careful with Dependent Clauses

Dependent clauses start with words like because, if, when, which, and while. These clauses cannot stand alone as sentences.

• Fragment: If you want to succeed.
• Complete: If you want to succeed, you need to work hard.

1. Don’t Mistake -ing Words for Verbs

Words ending in -ing (running, swimming, etc.) are not complete verbs on their own. You’ll need to pair them with a helping verb (am, is, are, was, etc.).

• Fragment: The dog barking loudly.
• Complete: The dog was barking loudly.

Practice Time!

Let’s try fixing some sentence fragments:

Fragment: While waiting for the bus.
Correction: I read a book while waiting for the bus.

Fragment: The girl who loves to dance.
Correction: The girl who loves to dance is performing tonight.

Fragment: After the movie ended.
Correction: After the movie ended, we went out for ice cream.

Practice Exercise

Now it’s your turn! Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences:

1. _______ was raining heavily.
2. When we arrived at the beach, _______.
3. The car speeding down the road _______.

✅ Answers:

1. It was raining heavily.
2. When we arrived at the beach, we saw dolphins.
3. The car speeding down the road crashed into a tree.

Pro Tip:

Whenever you’re unsure if a sentence is a fragment, ask yourself:

• Does it have a subject?
• Does it have a verb?
• Does it make sense by itself?

If it passes all three, you’re good to go!