Fragments are incomplete sentences. They express only a part of an idea, leaving the reader to wonder about the rest of it. Fragments lack a subject or a complete verb (or both), or contain some element which makes the clause dependent, such as a relative pronoun (who, which, that), a coordinating conjunction (and, but, so, etc.) or a subordinating conjunction (although, since, etc.).


The following examples show the most common forms of sentence fragment errors.

1. Got a job in the post office during Christmas vacation.
2. The woman in the green felt hat.
3. Riding in the back of the car with my sister.
4. Since he has bad luck.

Example (1) lacks a subject. Someone needs to have gotten the job at the post office. A possible correction would be:

My nephew got a job at the post office during Christmas vacation.

Example (2) is missing a verb. Some action or statement of being is needed for the sentence to make sense.

The woman in the green felt hat paused to admire her reflection in the store window.

Example (3) contains only a partial verb. Riding is a gerund, and as such needs to be combined with a form of the verb to be. The sentence also lacks a subject. A possible correction would be:

The dog was riding in the back of the car with my sister.

Example (4) has both a subject and a verb, but it begins with the subordinating conjuction Since, which makes the clause dependent. The relationship it suggests is one of cause and effect. Example (4) supplies the cause, but not the effect. A possible correction would be:

Since he has bad luck, he refused to let his daughter buy a black cat.