Grammar is something most people try to avoid. We know what we know but are not sure why. In the US, we are often first exposed to grammar by our seventh grade English teacher and at the age of 12 or 13, it is very hard to focus on anything, let along commas and semi-colons.

In this article, I will demystify the concept of fragmented sentences and show you how to correct them. In a future article, I’ll discuss run-on sentences.

Sentence Fragments

What is a fragment? It’s a group of words pretending to be a sentence but because it lacks a key player, it can’t stand alone. The basic elements of a sentence are the Subject and the Verb. Most sentences will have both of these. But be careful. Just because a group of words has both a subject and a verb doesn’t automatically qualify it as a full sentence. A subordinate or dependent clause looks like a sentence but must be attached to a full sentence.

Why do people often write sentence fragments? In my experience, I have noticed that people write fragments because they

1. are afraid they will write a run-on sentence,
2. feel that a sentence should be a certain length and insert a period at some convenient point when it has reached that length, or
3. are trying to emphasize the idea in the fragment by putting it in its own sentence.

All of these cases end up in a grammatically incorrect sentence. So what can you do?

Correcting Fragments:
The beauty (and frustration) of our language is that there are different ways to write our sentences and to keep them correct. To correct a fragment, you can either attach it to the main sentence or make it into a separate sentence:

1. Connect with a comma:
   On that morning I sat in my usual spot. On the wooden stool in the corner of the kitchen.

   The second group of word is a subordinate clause that explains the main sentence. It does not have a verb. You can use a comma to connect the two thoughts:

   On that morning I sat in my usual spot, on the wooden stool in the corner of the kitchen.

2. Make it into a separate sentence:
   The pilots ejected from the burning plane, landing in the water not far from the ship. And immediately popped their flares and life vests.

   The second sentence does not have a subject so it is a fragment. By adding a subject and removing the connecting word (and), it becomes its own sentence.

   The pilots ejected from the burning plane, landing in the water not far from the ship. And They immediately popped their flares and life vests.

Uses of Fragments:
Occasionally, in certain circumstances, you may want/need to use a fragment. This is rarely the case in technical writing, but some people remember their English teachers encouraging promoting the use. In the following cases, a sentence fragment is grammatically correct:

1. To show emphasis:
   Following the dramatic Americanization of their children even my parents grew more publicly confident. Especially my mother.
2. To answer a question:
   Are these new drug tests 100% reliable? Not in the opinion of most experts.
3. As a transition:
   And now the opposing arguments.
4. Exclamations:
   Not again!
5. In Advertising:
   Fewer calories. Improved taste.

Please email me your ideas or thoughts at LisaM@rgilearning.com and I can address them in a future article.

© 2006, RGI Learning Lisa Moretto is the President of RGI Learning, Inc. For 15 years she has helped engineers improve their oral and written communication skills. Visit www.rgilearning.com or call (585) 461-3617 to learn about RGI's courses.

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