#What means also a sentence fragment how to#

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.

#What means also a sentence fragment how to#

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.