Identify the sentence that is a fragment.

Identify the sentence that is a fragment.

• A. The committee approved the proposal after careful review.
• B. After careful review.
• C. The committee approved the proposal after careful review by the chairman.
• D. The committee, after careful review, approved the proposal.

Answer: (B)

A sentence fragment occurs when a group of words looks like a sentence but can’t stand alone because it lacks a subject performing a finite verb. “After careful review” starts with a word that signals an idea about timing, but it has no subject and no action to express a complete thought, so it can’t stand as a sentence on its own. The other sentences provide a clear subject and a main verb, making them complete thoughts. The committee is the subject and approved is the verb, with modifiers that add detail but don’t change the fact that the sentence expresses a full idea. Even when the phrase “after careful review” or “by the chairman” appears as a parenthetical or extra description, the core clause still has a subject performing an action, so it remains complete. That’s why the standalone fragment is the short phrase “After careful review.”

A sentence fragment occurs when a group of words looks like a sentence but can’t stand alone because it lacks a subject performing a finite verb. “After careful review” starts with a word that signals an idea about timing, but it has no subject and no action to express a complete thought, so it can’t stand as a sentence on its own.

The other sentences provide a clear subject and a main verb, making them complete thoughts. The committee is the subject and approved is the verb, with modifiers that add detail but don’t change the fact that the sentence expresses a full idea. Even when the phrase “after careful review” or “by the chairman” appears as a parenthetical or extra description, the core clause still has a subject performing an action, so it remains complete.

That’s why the standalone fragment is the short phrase “After careful review.”