Created By Kathryn Reilly

Sentence Fragments

Sentence FragmentsSentence Fragments are incomplete sentences.

Yelling loudly at the bear. (missing subject)The large, growling bear. (missing verb)

All sentences must have a subject and verb.

The correct shortest sentence may be two words. He ran.

However, could you imagine a story of short sentences?

He ran. He was scared. He kept running. He stopped. He caught his breath.

BORING!!

Using Sentence FragmentsHowever, sometimes writers break the rules to

achieve a purpose.

Used correctly, sentence fragments could: Gain the reader’s attention in academic writing Emphasize an important word or phrase Answer a question Express an important emotion

Let’s take a look at effective sentence fragments use.

Gaining the Reader’s Attention in Academic Writing

Use sentence fragments sparingly in academic writing. They could open paragraphs to gain reader attention.Fragments should “hook” the reader on the topic.

ExampleBurning alive. Many Tibetan monks protested

Chinese policy in Tibet by burning themselves alive in order to draw international attention to the suffering their people.

This paper’s opening paragraph examines the relationship between China and Tibet. A sentence fragment engages the reader’s attention as it immediately makes the reader wonder who is burning alive and why.

Emphasizing Important Words or Phrases

Fragments can emphasize an important word or phrase. Breaking conventional sentence form focuses reader attention.

Example:

Imagination. Creativity consumed her from the moment she woke. Elves. Dragons. She was determined to write a bestseller.

In the above example, the three sentence fragments emphasize the importance of creativity to the character; the sentence fragments convey her determination to write a novel.

Answering a QuestionTo mimic realistic speech, authors use fragments.

Example:“Would you like to go to Homecoming with me?” asked Patrick.“Absolutely,” replied Jessica.“Awesome!”“Can’t Wait!” Megan replied.“Great. I’ll pick you up around seven.”

In this example, the four sentence fragments mimic a conversation.

Sentence fragments create realistic dialogue in narrative works.

Expressing an Important EmotionSentence fragments can convey strong emotions.

No! could convey a forceful demandWhat? could convey disbelief or confusionAgain. could convey determinationTry! could convey encouragementAbsolutely. could convey confidenceNo way!could convey doubt

Context is important when determining a character’s emotions.

Sentence Fragment Review Fragments should be used intentionally.

Limit fragments in academic writing to “attention getting” tools.

Fragments can focus the reader’s attention on important words or emotions.

Fragments can convey realistic dialogue.