Sunday, March 1, 2020
Grammar Tips What Is a Sentence Fragment - Get Proofed!
Grammar Tips What Is a Sentence Fragment - Get Proofed! Grammar Tips: What Is a Sentence Fragment? Being proofreaders, weââ¬â¢re keen on keeping things grammatical. As such, we feel sad when we see a sentence thatââ¬â¢s been left incomplete. Itââ¬â¢s like the linguistic version of an abandoned puppy. But what is it that makes a sentence complete? And is an incomplete sentence always wrong? Our guide to sentence fragments can answer your questions and help you avoid errors in your work. The Sentence Fragment A sentence fragment is, quite simply, an incomplete sentence. At its most basic, a sentence needs a subject (i.e., something or someone to perform an action) and a verb (i.e., an action or state of being). Subject Verb Phrase The birdâ⬠¦ â⬠¦flew away. If a sentence is missing a subject or a verb, it will be incomplete (i.e., a sentence fragment): Fragment (No Subject): Flew away. Fragment (No Verb): The bird. Neither of these is a complete sentence, so we donââ¬â¢t know what the author meant. In other cases, though, sentence fragments may have a subject and a verb while still being incomplete. For example: The bird pecked my. Here, we have the subject ââ¬Å"birdâ⬠and verb ââ¬Å"pecked,â⬠but there is something missing after ââ¬Å"my.â⬠This is because ââ¬Å"peckedâ⬠is a transitive verb, so it needs an object (i.e., something that is being acted on). The more complex a sentence gets, the easier it is to miss something like this. Are Sentence Fragments Always Wrong? No! Sentence fragments are common. In literature, for example, using a short sentence fragment can be a good way of changing the pace or tone of a piece of writing. Compare the following: No Fragment: The budgie was small, but loud. Fragment: The budgie was small. But loud. In the second, ââ¬Å"But loudâ⬠is technically a sentence fragment. But by using a period instead of a comma, the author adds a dramatic pause before the fragment to emphasize how loud the budgie is. I am budgie. Hear me roar. More generally, we all use sentence fragments in our own lives. And youââ¬â¢ll find them used in advertising and pop culture all the time! As long as you can understand them, this isnââ¬â¢t a problem. How to Avoid ââ¬Å"Badâ⬠Fragments Sentence fragments become an issue when it is hard to tell what someone is saying. For example: The canary was singing because. Here, thereââ¬â¢s obviously something missing from the sentence, since ââ¬Å"becauseâ⬠is meant to introduce a reason. As such, this fragment would need completing before it makes sense. In other cases, we might understand what the author means by a sentence fragment, but unless there is a good reason for using one, it is still better to write in full sentences. For instance: The study examined several species. Including canaries, budgies and doves. Here, the clause that starts with ââ¬Å"Includingâ⬠is a fragment, though we can guess that itââ¬â¢s a list of birds included in the study. However, since thereââ¬â¢s no reason to use a sentence fragment here, it would be better to remove the period and join the clauses with a comma: The study examined several species, including canaries, budgies and doves. The most important thing is that every sentence has a main clause including a subject and verb, but watch out for other sentences that seem unfinished or ambiguous throughout your work.
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