Which statement describes a sentence fragment?

Which statement describes a sentence fragment?

• A. It has a subject or finite verb.
• B. It contains a dependent clause but not a complete thought.
• C. It is a complete sentence that stands alone.
• D. Fragment lacks a subject or finite verb; add missing element to form a complete sentence.

Answer: (D)

A sentence fragment is an incomplete piece of writing because it misses an essential piece: a subject or a finite verb. A complete sentence needs both a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a finite verb (the action or state of being) to express a full thought. The statement that a fragment lacks a subject or finite verb and that you should add the missing element to form a complete sentence captures this idea clearly and universally. Other descriptions are narrower or opposite: a fragment isn’t defined by containing a dependent clause, since fragments can be phrases or incomplete clauses without a dependent clause; and a fragment is not a complete sentence that can stand alone.

A sentence fragment is an incomplete piece of writing because it misses an essential piece: a subject or a finite verb. A complete sentence needs both a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a finite verb (the action or state of being) to express a full thought. The statement that a fragment lacks a subject or finite verb and that you should add the missing element to form a complete sentence captures this idea clearly and universally.

Other descriptions are narrower or opposite: a fragment isn’t defined by containing a dependent clause, since fragments can be phrases or incomplete clauses without a dependent clause; and a fragment is not a complete sentence that can stand alone.