Grammar and reading terms · SAT Reading and Writing, ACT English, ACT Reading
Sentence fragment
Sentence fragment: A group of words punctuated as a sentence that lacks a subject, a main verb or a complete thought.
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What it means
Fragments often occur when a dependent clause or a phrase is separated from the sentence it belongs to. Fix them by attaching the fragment to an independent clause or by adding the missing subject or verb.
Phrases beginning with an -ing verb or a relative pronoun such as which are common fragment traps.
Example
Fragment: 'The scientist published her findings. Which surprised many colleagues.' Correct: 'The scientist published her findings, which surprised many colleagues.'
On the exam
Both tests include answer choices that create fragments by inserting a period in the wrong place.