A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. It may lack a subject, a verb, or both, or it might be a dependent clause that is not connected to an independent clause. While fragments are often grammatically incomplete, they can sometimes be used intentionally in creative writing, dialogue, or informal contexts for effect.
Here are a few examples of sentence fragments:
- Missing subject or verb:
- "Running down the street." (This is just a phrase, not a full sentence. It lacks a subject and verb to form a complete idea.)
- Dependent clause:
- "Because I was late." (This is a dependent clause and doesn’t express a complete thought on its own. It needs an independent clause to complete the sentence: "Because I was late, I missed the bus.")
- Incomplete thought:
- "Even though he tried hard." (This fragment leaves the reader wondering what happened despite the effort. It needs more information to complete the thought.)
Sentence fragments can be used purposefully in writing to convey emotions, create suspense, or mimic speech patterns, but in formal writing, they usually need to be revised for clarity and completeness.
