Sentence Fragments
What is a sentence fragment?
A sentence fragment is missing one of the three essential ingredients for a complete sentence. These ingredients are:
If the sentence is missing any of these three things, it isn't a sentence: it's a fragment.
- A subject
- A verb
- A complete thought
If the sentence is missing any of these three things, it isn't a sentence: it's a fragment.
What's a complete thought?
That's a complicated question, but the simplest answer probably lies in look at what ISN'T a complete thought. In other words, what has a subject and a verb, but doesn't make a sentence, because it isn't a complete thought? We call this a dependent clause—it is dependent on another clause to make the message complete.
What?
OK. Take a look at the following sentence: "An idea that O'Brien needs to execute throughout plot-line chapters, such as this one." there is a subject: IDEA. There is a verb: NEEDS. However, the sentence leaves us hanging because we need one more clause to finish the thought. We need an IS in there somewhere. Something like this: "An idea that O'Brien needs to execute throughout plot-line chapters such as this one IS the extreme mental instability of his protagonist."
BASIC Explanation: The sentence above is about the IDEA. But from the fragment we don't know what the idea is or does. Adding "is the extreme mental instability of his protagonist" finishes the thought and saves the subject from hanging.
MORE DETAILED EXPLANANATION: "that O'Brien needs to execute throughout pollen chapters such as this one" is a type of dependent clause known as an adjective clause. Its entire purpose is to describe the subject, IDEA. Adjective clauses aren't the main part of the sentence. Because it's a dependent clause, it needs an independent clause to make sense. Erase that adjective clause, and what do we have? "An idea..." An idea what? See what I mean? If we continue to leave out the adjective clause, which gives interesting information, but doesn't complete the main clause, BUT add in the IS part (the predicate), and you have "An idea is the extreme mental instability of his protagonist." Even though there is less information in this version, it stands on its own because there is a subject, IDEA, and a verb, IS, and it doesn't leave us hanging.
BASIC Explanation: The sentence above is about the IDEA. But from the fragment we don't know what the idea is or does. Adding "is the extreme mental instability of his protagonist" finishes the thought and saves the subject from hanging.
MORE DETAILED EXPLANANATION: "that O'Brien needs to execute throughout pollen chapters such as this one" is a type of dependent clause known as an adjective clause. Its entire purpose is to describe the subject, IDEA. Adjective clauses aren't the main part of the sentence. Because it's a dependent clause, it needs an independent clause to make sense. Erase that adjective clause, and what do we have? "An idea..." An idea what? See what I mean? If we continue to leave out the adjective clause, which gives interesting information, but doesn't complete the main clause, BUT add in the IS part (the predicate), and you have "An idea is the extreme mental instability of his protagonist." Even though there is less information in this version, it stands on its own because there is a subject, IDEA, and a verb, IS, and it doesn't leave us hanging.