A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. Every sentence needs specific elements to be complete and correct.
Three Essential Rules for Sentences
Every sentence MUST have:
- Start with a capital letter
- End with punctuation (. ? !)
- Express a complete thought
Complete Sentences – Examples
Correct sentences:
- The dog barks.
- I am happy.
- She reads books.
- They play football.
Each sentence above:
- Begins with a capital letter ✓
- Ends with a period ✓
- Has a complete meaning ✓
Incomplete Sentences (Fragments)
These are NOT complete sentences because they lack essential elements:
- The dog ✗ (What about the dog? Incomplete thought)
- Reads books ✗ (Who reads? Missing subject)
- To school ✗ (Who goes? What happens? Incomplete)
Basic Sentence Structure
The simplest sentence has two parts:
SUBJECT + VERB
Learn more about this in our subject and predicate guide.
Subject | Verb |
---|---|
Birds | fly. |
Dogs | bark. |
I | sleep. |
She | sings. |
Adding More Information
You can make sentences longer by adding more details. See our simple sentences guide for patterns.
Pattern: Subject + Verb + More Information
- The cat sleeps on the sofa.
- I eat an apple.
- She goes to school.
Types of Punctuation
Sentences can end with three different marks based on their purpose:
1. Period (.) – Statements
Used for facts or information:
- The sky is blue.
- I have a cat.
2. Question Mark (?) – Questions
Used when asking:
- Where is the book?
- Do you like pizza?
3. Exclamation Mark (!) – Strong Feelings
Used for emphasis or emotion:
- How beautiful!
- I won the game!
Learn about all types of sentences based on function.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Missing capital letter:
- ✗ the dog barks.
- ✓ The dog barks.
- Missing punctuation:
- ✗ I like pizza
- ✓ I like pizza.
- Incomplete thought:
- ✗ Under the table
- ✓ The cat is under the table.
Key Takeaways
- A sentence = complete thought
- Must start with capital letter
- Must end with . ? or !
- Needs subject + verb minimum
- Can add more information
Next: Start learning the eight parts of speech, beginning with nouns.
Related Lessons:
Leave a Reply