A sentence fragment is a group of words that looks like a sentence, but it is not a complete sentence because it lacks a subject, a verb, or a complete thought. Sentence fragments can occur in a variety of ways, including:
Sentence fragments without a subject
- (She) Went to the store and bought some milk.
- (The dog) Barking loudly at the mailman.
- (It) Is a beautiful day today.
- (My brother) Loves to play soccer.
- (They) Were late for the meeting.
Sentence fragments without a verb phrase
- The girl with the red dress (was dancing).
- A book about ancient history (that I borrowed from the library).
- In the middle of the night (he heard a strange noise).
- Because of the storm (we had to cancel our plans).
- The fastest runner in the school (who won the race).
To avoid sentence fragments, it is important to make sure that every group of words (i.e., clause) you write has a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. You can also check your writing for sentence fragments by reading it aloud. If you come across a group of words that does not sound like a complete sentence, it is probably a fragment.
Here are some tips for avoiding sentence fragments: – Make sure every group of words has a subject and a verb. – Make sure every group of words expresses a complete thought. – Read your writing aloud to check for sentence fragments. – Use a grammar checker to help you identify sentence fragments.
Sentence fragments can make your writing sound choppy and unprofessional. By following these tips, you can avoid sentence fragments and write clear, concise sentences.
The error code “FRAG” refers to sentence fragment and is considered a more serious type of writing error. Also it’s called a “sentence fragment”, fragments actually occur at the clause level: main clause, noun clause functioning as a subject or object, relative (adjective) clauses, and subordinating (adverbial) clauses. Refer to the Writing Errors Code List.
