What defines a sentence fragment?

A sentence fragment is defined as a group of words that does not form a complete sentence because it is missing an essential component, such as a subject or predicate. For example, a phrase like "When we went to the store" does not express a complete thought and leaves the reader wanting more information; it is incomplete without a main clause to support it.

This definition clearly distinguishes a sentence fragment from a complete sentence, which must convey a complete thought and contain at least a subject and a verb. Option B captures this definition accurately by identifying that a sentence fragment lacks crucial elements that would aid in its completeness. While a complete sentence may have no errors and may be long or complex with multiple clauses, those characteristics do not pertain to sentence fragments. Lastly, although questions can indeed appear fragmented, this is not the defining feature of a fragment, making this option less pertinent to the overall definition of sentence fragments.