Your Guide to Writing the Perfect Story

How to Use a Fragment Sentence Properly

First of all, what's a fragment sentence?

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. There are several reasons why a group of words may seem to act like a sentence but not have the wherewithal to make it as a complete thought.

That is the definition of a fragment sentence. In other words, a fragment sentence is not, in fact, a sentence. It does not end even if the period or question mark or exclamation says so. A fragment sentence does not form a complete thought. It is incomplete.

But then how can you use these fragment sentences, if they are not grammatically correct? There are many ways that fragment sentences can be helpful. Poetic, almost. Notice that fragment sentence I just used? I'll go over each way that it is acceptable to not complete your thought.

1. A Pause

Think of it this way: when you are thinking, you might pause after your original sentence but decide to add an extra little detail after. This detail does not need to be in a complete sentence. Writers often emphasize these pauses or hesitations with breaking off a sentence.

Example #1: Her hair was short like a boy's, but still very stylish.

Example #2: Her hair was short like a boy's. But still very stylish.

In example #2 I have used a fragment. The second "sentence" is incomplete but it is used to indicate a pause in their thinking. Think about how these two examples are different and decide which is more effective. Often fragment sentences can come off clunky and awkward. It is up to you as the author to decide for yourself whether that is true or not.

2. Dialogue

We speak in fragments all the time. I mean, all the time. Keep this in mind when you are writing speech in your books. Don't hesitate to make your characters not sound like drill sergeants all the time. It will automatically loosen up your writing and make your characters more real. Fragments can be very useful in dialogue.

3. Scrambled Thoughts

Whenever your character experiences a trauma or panic or even just plain anger, their thoughts might become more messy: disorganized. For instance, they might catch only certain things going on around them or their eyes will focus in on one specific detail. Often, writers will use fragments to play with their readers. They understand something is amiss, but can't always place it. Sometimes they can, but not always.

Example: 

I walk down the hallway, ready to burst through Alvin's door and demand to know why he didn't want me coming over. Placing a hand on the doorknob I push it open.

Oh. Oh.

My breath escapes me. I. Can't. Breathe. Five thousand fireworks in my head. All of them exploding. A girl. His lips. Lips that I thought were saved just for me. Wrong. I was so wrong.

That was an example of many different fragment sentences used together to explain what is unravelling before her in a disorganized fashion. This random little clip I put together in about one minute conveyed this girls emotions at seeing her boyfriend cheating on her. It may look or sound a little weird, but this is how our brain works. Most of the time, we think in words or random thoughts, not in complete sentences.

4. Clarity

This might seem strange considering, on their own, fragments are anything but clear. However, in this scenario, fragments are not used to make a new thought clear, but to help you understand a previous one. They re-phrase what is already said in a casual fashion you would barely notice but that brings the words to mind that you were imagining but might not have thought of just yet.

Example: The wind whistled through the trees and the sun lit the plants up so they shone like emeralds. Birds flew past me, singing to each other along the way. Down by the shore, the water glistened and sparkled invitingly. Beautiful.

The word at the end — beautiful — sums up the previous dialogue pretty clearly. It shows the narrators or character's view on the sight that they are viewing. It clarifies what you already probably inferred.

5. Emphasis

This is very similar to clarity. Fragments are often used for writers to emphasize a point. They might say something that means one thing and is completely ordinary, but when they implement the fragment, it reveals it to be something completely different.

Example: On the ground lay a ring. The same ring I'd seen on my mother's hand the night before.

At first, the ring is just ordinary. But when the fragment is used, you actually understand what happened and why it is important. Clearly her mother threw away her ring in a fit of anger at this particular character's father or someone stole it and managed to drop their prize.

There is lots you can do with fragment sentences; you need to be creative. If it makes sense and sounds great, chances are no one will call you out on it. I encourage you to use fragment sentences, but to a point. Don't over-use them. There comes a time where no one really understands any more what you are trying to say. Besides that, I have nothing more to tell you! I hope this was helpful.