Meaning of fragment in a sentence4/10/2024 ![]() ![]() Not a sandbag, not a nail or a scrap of wire." - "The Vietnam in Me," The New York Times Magazine by Tim O'Brien Dive into a few intentional fragment sentences made by professional writers to convey a specific message. If you want to find out more about sentence fragments, and how to look out for other grammatical errors in writing, our Becoming A Proofreader course has all the information you need! Sign up for the free trial today to find out how the course works.Sometimes, authors intentionally use sentence fragments to emphasize their writing or convey something harsh or disjointed. And in these cases, you will just want to leave a comment noting the sentence fragment for the client. Or you might not be sure how to complete the sentence based on the surrounding text. We can reasonably assume here that the missing word is “key.” As such, if we were proofreading this sentence, we would add “key” and leave a comment to note the addition.Īlternatively, it may be unclear whether the fragment is deliberate. He turned the and the engine roared to life. For instance, imagine a writer describing someone getting into a car as follows: One is to make an educated guess based on the context and complete the sentence. If you do spot a fragment that seems incorrect or inappropriate, you have two choices. When clarity or formality are at issue, then, fragments are usually problematic. ![]() There will be some exceptions – e.g., an academic book may include stylistic flourishes on the part of the author, or a work of fiction may use sentence fragments that are deliberately obscure and confusing to unsettle the reader – but these are rare. If sentence fragments seem accidental or make the writing less clear.In formal writing (e.g., academic essays or business reports), which should typically follow standard English grammar and use complete sentences.However, there are two main situations in which you may need to correct them: As such, they may not always need correcting. When Does a Sentence Fragment Need Correcting?įragments are technically ungrammatical, but they are also a common part of everyday speech and writing. In fact, as long as the document type permits non-standard English, they can help authors achieve their goals, whether this is creating a compelling narrative or selling a product. These kinds of sentence fragments are fine as long as they make sense in context. Why do we persist in writing grammatically? Because we care. The bullets flew past his head, making his ears ring. Giving an immediate answer to a rhetorical question.Making short, sharp emphatic statements.Mimicking human speech, especially in dialogue.Varying the pace and flow of prose, creating anticipation or tension.Some common uses of sentence fragments, for instance, include: This is most common in fiction and other kinds of creative writing, but it also applies to copy writing and journalism. When Are Sentence Fragments Okay?Ĭertain types of writing bend grammar rules for effect. When and how to correct fragments as a proofreader.įor more on how to handle sentence fragments as a proofreader, check out our advice below.A few ways in which writers use sentence fragments for effect.The short answer is “no.” Many writers use sentence fragments deliberately, especially in creative writing and commercial copy. But is a sentence fragment always an error? And, as a proofreader, you would usually correct ungrammatical text in a document. Strictly speaking, sentence fragments – incomplete sentences that don’t express a complete thought – are ungrammatical.
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