Sentence fragment

Generally, a complete sentence requires a subject and a complete verb phrase.  A phrase with anything less is likely to be a sentence fragment:

I pulled up to the drive-through speaker.  Where I placed my order.

Problem and cure: The first clause ("I pulled . . .") is well formed and acceptable.  The second is a sentence fragment because it begins with a subordinating word ("Where").  To correct this, one would simply substitute the period with a comma and give "Where" a lower case "w."

Like the comma splice and fused sentence, a fragment is for many writing instructors a particularly serious offense.  

It has become something of a cliché to begin a personal essay with a series of fragments:

Golden sand.  The peaceful roar of the tide.  A glimmering sun overhead.  For me, Hawaii is paradise.

It is best to completely avoid fragments, though some practiced writers occasionally employ them for effect, as in the following:

Clem was handsome, rich, and smart.  And the biggest jerk on the planet.

Technically, "and" (and "but," "or," and so on) is a subordinating word that, if used at the beginning of a sentence, creates a fragment, but everything depends on context.  It is important for writers to know what their audiences expect--how much of a stickler their readers are for a close observation of usage rules.


common errors