Common Grammar Mistakes New Writers Make: Part 3 - Sentence Fragments

What is a Sentence Fragment?

When a sentence is missing a subject, verb, or fails to express a complete thought.

I say accidental because sentence fragments can be great ways to add emphasis and flow to your writing. But you have to know the rules to break them.

Example 1:

A quiet, elegant, shy girl.

Did what? There is no verb, therefore this is not a complete sentence.

Correction: She was a quiet, elegant shy girl.

or

The quiet, elegant, shy girl tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

Example 2:

Running, leaping, bounding towards the edge of the cliff.

Who was running? A dog? A pig? A one-legged, slightly inebriated festival hooligan?

Correction: Running, leaping, bounding towards the edge of the cliff, the hooligan raced towards death.

Example 3:

Because I was running to the store.

What happened because you were running to the store? This is an incomplete thought.

Correction: Because I was running to the store, I tripped arse-over tit and landed on my face.

OR

I was running to the store.

Sense check:

Has your sentence got a subject and a verb?

Have you included a subordinating conjunction (like because) that turns your sentence into an unfinished thought?

Creative writers love to break the rules. The best writing often does!

Just make sure you’re doing it sparingly and deliberately.

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