Definition

A SENTENCE FRAGMENT fails to be a sentence in the sense that it cannot stand by itself. It
does not contain even one independent clause. Thee ae seveal easons !hy a "oup of
!ods #ay see# to act li$e a sentence but not have the !hee!ithal to #a$e it as a co#plete
thou"ht.
%
It #ay locate so#ethin" in ti#e and place !ith a pepositional phase o a seies of such
phases& but it's still lac$in" a pope sub(ect)veb elationship !ithin an independent clause*
In +apan& duin" the last !a and (ust befoe the a#istice.
This sentence acco#plishes a "eat deal in te#s of placin" the eade in ti#e and place& but
thee is no sub(ect& no veb.
%
It descibes so#ethin"& but thee is no sub(ect)veb elationship*
,o$in" fa into the ni"ht in an effot to salva"e he little boat.
This is a vebal phase that !ants to #odify so#ethin"& the eal sub(ect of the sentence -about
to co#e up.& pobably the she !ho !as !o$in" so had.
%
It #ay have #ost of the #a$in"s of a sentence but still be #issin" an i#potant pat of a veb
stin"*
So#e of the students !o$in" in /ofesso Espino0a's laboatoy last se#este.
Re#e#be that an )in" veb fo# !ithout an au1iliay fo# to acco#pany it can neve be a veb.
%
It #ay even have a sub(ect)veb elationship& but it has been subodinated to anothe idea by a
dependent !od and so cannot stand by itself*
Even thou"h he had the bette a"u#ents and !as by fa the #oe po!eful spea$e.
This sentence fa"#ent has a sub(ect& he& and t!o vebs& had and !as& but it cannot stand by
itself because of the dependent !od -subodinatin" con(unction. even thou"h. ,e need an
independent clause to follo! up this dependent clause* . . . the #oe po!eful spea$e& he lost
the case because he didn't undestand the (uy.

Stylistic Fa"#ents
Thee ae occasions !hen a sentence fa"#ent can be stylistically effective& e1actly !hat you
!ant and no #oe.
2aison Fod has said he !ould be #oe than !illin" to ta$e on anothe Indiana +ones po(ect.
In a Ne! 3o$ #inute.
As lon" as you ae clealy in contol of the situation& this is pe#issible& but the feedo# to
e1ecise this stylistic license depends on the cicu#stances. /ehaps you final eseach pape
in En"lish Co#position is not the place to e1pei#ent )) o& then a"ain& #aybe it is. As$ you
instucto.
Fo additional help !ith sentence fa"#ents& see Chapte 4 of Sentence Sense* A
,ite's Guide.
A R5N)6N SENTENCE -so#eti#es called a 7fused sentence7. has at least t!o pats& eithe
one of !hich can stand by itself -in othe !ods& t!o independent clauses.& but the t!o pats
have been s#ooshed to"ethe instead of bein" popely connected. Revie!& also& the section
!hich descibes Thin"s That Can 2appen 8et!een T!o Independent Clauses.
It is i#potant to eali0e that the len"th of a sentence eally has nothin" to do !ith !hethe a
sentence is a un)on o not9 bein" a un)on is a stuctual fla! that can pla"ue even a vey shot
sentence*
The sun is hi"h& put on so#e sunbloc$.
An e1te#ely lon" sentence& on the othe hand& #i"ht be a 7un)off)at)the)#outh7 sentence& but
it can be othe!ise sound& stuctually. Clic$ hee to see a :;<)!od sentence that is a pefectly
fine sentence -stuctually.
,hen t!o independent clauses ae connected by only a co##a& they constitute a un)on
sentence that is called a co##a)splice. The e1a#ple (ust above -about the sunsceen. is a
co##a)splice. ,hen you use a co##a to connect t!o independent clauses& it #ust be
acco#panied by a little con(unction -and& but& fo& no& yet& o& so..
The sun is hi"h& so put on so#e sunsceen.
Run)on sentences happen typically unde the follo!in" cicu#stances=*
,hen an independent clause "ives an ode o diective based on !hat !as said in the pio
independent clause*
This ne1t chapte has a lot of difficult info#ation in it& you should stat studyin" i"ht a!ay.
-,e could put a peiod !hee that co##a is and stat a ne! sentence. A se#icolon #i"ht also
!o$ thee..
,hen t!o independent clauses ae connected by a tansitional e1pession -con(unctive adveb.
such as ho!eve& #oeove& nevetheless.
M. N"uyen has sent his fou childen to ivy)lea"ue colle"es& ho!eve& he has sacificed his
health !o$in" day and ni"ht in that dusty ba$ey.
-A"ain& !hee that fist co##a appeas& !e could have used eithe a peiod > and stated a
ne! sentence > o a se#icolon..
,hen the second of t!o independent clauses contains a ponoun that connects it to the fist
independent clause.
This co#pute doesn't #a$e sense to #e& it ca#e !ithout a #anual.
-Althou"h these t!o clauses ae ?uite bief& and the ideas ae closely elated& this is a un)on
sentence. ,e need a peiod !hee that co##a no! stands..
Most of those co#putes in the @eanin" Assistance Cente ae bo$en aleady& this poves #y
point about A#eican co#pute #anufactues.
A"ain& t!o nicely elated clauses& incoectly connected > a un)on. 5se a peiod to cue this
sentence.
This list of situations in !hich un) on sentences ae apt to happen can be found in Sentence
Sense* A ,ite's Guide by Evelyn Fab#an. 2ou"hton Mifflin& A<4<. E1a#ples ou o!n. See&
also& the online vesion of that te1t.