Style Academy #5

Intentional Sentence Fragments

                A sentence is supposed to be an independent clause with a noun and a verb that can stand on its own. Fragments are usually missing verbs. I always thought sentence fragments were bad and that I would get docked points for it on my assignments. In this video, they use an example of a Rick Riley article from sports illustrated. He uses fragmented sentences to emphasize his point and grab our attention. He could have written them as normal sentences, or complete sentences. But Riley uses fragments purposely to draw attention from the reader. Fragments can be a powerful rhetorical tools. Rick Riley and Stephen King use fragments for powerful affect. From the  sentences before the fragment, we think these authors are going one direction, and then the fragment can flip the whole direction around. Sometimes by using complete sentences, power, or humor, or emphasis is lost. Fragments can get the intended point across quickly and boldly. However, it is still important to make sure that when you use a fragment that it is relevant, makes sense and works with the idea of the sentences before and after. So although you need to be careful when using fragments, using them purposefully and correctly can add a lot of strength to your writing.