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Grammar Express

What is a sentence fragment?

A sentence fragment is one or more words that together do not constitute a complete sentence but which have mistakenly been punctuated as a complete sentence. There are two kinds of fragments.

One kind of fragment lacks a component of the subject or predicate. It is literally missing something that would make it a complete sentence. This kind of fragment is usually only a phrase:

    Its engine having a displacement of 427 cubic inches. (Lacks a verb.)
To correct this kind of fragment it usually works simply to attach it to an independent clause:
    Sharon's car has poor gas mileage, its engine having a displacement of 427 cubic inches.

Or supply it with whatever it needs to make it a complete sentence on its own:

    Its engine has a displacement of 427 cubic inches.
The other kind of fragment has a complete subject and predicate but has a subordinating conjunction attached to it which, somewhat ironically, creates a fragment. It has become a dependent clause without an independent clause to depend on:
    Because its engine has a displacement of 427 cubic inches.
To correct this kind of fragment, simply attach it to its independent clause:
    Sharon's car gets poor gas mileage because its engine has a displacement of 427 cubic inches.

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