Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Allowing Sentence Fragments.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 26, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Maggie notes that in fiction writing it is acceptable to have sentence fragments within dialogue, as that is how we often speak. This makes her wonder if there is a way to set Word's automatic grammar checker to not flag sentence fragments that occur between quotation marks.
You can, if you'd like, configure the grammar checker so that it does not flag sentence fragments. Follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Spelling & Grammar tab of the Options dialog box.
Figure 2. The Grammar Settings dialog box.
There are a couple of drawbacks to doing this, though. First of all, Word will ignore all sentence fragments, regardless of where they occur—between quotation marks or not. Secondly, Word also will ignore any run-on sentences it may detect.
If these drawbacks are unacceptable for your purposes, you may want to try a different approach. If it suits your writing (if you don't have that many fragments), you might consider prefacing them with ellipses. Word magically ignores a fragment that has ellipses in from of it.
Another option is to define a new character style that you use just for your in-dialogue fragments. Define the style so that it doesn't do grammar checking, and then apply it to the fragments. This has the added benefit of allowing Word to flag any out-of-dialogue fragments that may exist in your prose.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (729) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Allowing Sentence Fragments.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
When you run a spell-check on a document, you may end up seeing other things that need to be edited. Never fear; you can ...
Discover MoreSome people feel that your writing can be better if you remove gender-specific language it may contain. Here's how you ...
Discover MoreWhen writing technical documents, URLs are a common thing to include in your text. Normally Word will mark these as ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Comments