Sentence fragments

Question

She died in 2002. She was thirty-three.

In the previous example, is (She was thirty-three.) a sentence fragments? and is it correct to say it without adding (years old)?

Answer 1

She was thirty-three is not a fragment. It has a subject (she) and a verb (was), which makes it a complete sentence. You do not necessarily need to add years old, as it is understood that this is what thirty-three is referring to. I would probably add it, though, especially if this is for academic writing.

However, I would suggest combining the sentences to add a bit of variety to your writing. For example: She died in 2002 at thirty-three years old. This helps avoid the choppiness of very short sentences.

Answer 2

No, it is not a sentence fragment, note it has a subject and a verb and is a complete thought.

As for writing thirty-three without adding the word years, it depends on what you are writing, who is your audience. Check the style book you are using first. If that doesn't give you a definitive answer, I would suggest that if it is an academic audience, or other formal setting you add it. If it is for a less formal project, and you have no class requirements, you could leave out years.