Rich Language looks at Fragment Sentences

Fragment Sentences

If you use Microsoft Word, it may underline some of your sentences and complain with the single word: "Fragment." This is of little use until you're familiar with what a fragment is. Usually, Word is referring to fragment sentences.

In the 1923 Columbia Guide to Standard American English, Kenneth Wilson defined the fragment sentence: "A fragment sentence is one that lacks either a predicate or both a subject and a predicate. [...] Fragments are also called incomplete sentences, but in fact many of them are response utterances, constantly used and easily understood in the give-and-take of conversation[.]"

Simply, a fragment is a section of a sentence. When attention is called to a fragment, however, it's usually because a fragment has been forced into becoming an entire sentence on its own. Some examples of fragmented sentences are:

• Nothing.
• Agreed.
• To who?
• And then some!

Without context, these sentences make little sense. They are merely fragments of what should, formally, be full sentences containing a subject and predicate, perhaps like so:

• I've done nothing.
• I agree with what you've said.
• You're going to give that to who?
• That is true, and then some!

These sentences have a subject (I, you or that) and a verb (done, agree, give, is), which mean they lack the properties to be considered fragments.

The prevalence of fragment sentences is a key element of informal speech. In most written text they would be considered a faux pas, which is why Microsoft Word is vocal in its complaints! In poetry, however, they are as acceptable as the style dictates. William Gibson's Idoru is notable for its use of fragment sentences in most of its dialogue.

Correcting fragments

Another form of fragment sentence, known as a mixed construction can occur due to incorrect punctuation. Take the following:

Buying things online is great. Because you get a bigger selection than at the stores.

Here, the underlined section is identified as a fragment. It does, however, contain a verb and a subject. In this case, the preposition "because" makes the sentence dependent on the first sentence, which means the sentence is effectively just a dependent clause, and therefore a fragment. Luckily, this problem is easy to fix:

Buying things online is great, because you get a bigger selection than at the stores.

Alternatively, you can remove the preposition to form two sentences, and the second sentence will use the first for context:

Buying things online is great. You get a bigger selection than at the stores.

Further information on fragment sentences:

• The Columbia Guide to Standard American English's entry for "fragment sentence."
• "Idoru," by William Gibson

Suggest a topic
Have a topic you want us to cover?