1. What is a Sentence?

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. It typically contains a subject (who or
what the sentence is about) and a predicate (what the subject does or is). Every sentence starts with a
capital letter and ends with punctuation, like a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation mark (!).

Example:

 The cat slept on the couch.

In this sentence:

 Subject: "The cat" (who the sentence is about)

 Predicate: "slept on the couch" (what the subject did)

2. The Essential Parts of a Sentence

a) Subject

The subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that is performing the action or being described. It can be:

 Noun: John, the book, the cat.

 Pronoun: He, she, they, it.

b) Predicate

The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells us something about the subject. It must contain a
verb and may include objects or additional information.

Example:

 She runs every morning.

o Subject: "She"

o Predicate: "runs every morning" (the action and additional information)

c) Verb

A verb is the action or state of being in the sentence.

 Action verb: run, jump, eat, write.

 Linking verb: am, is, are, was, were.

Example:

 They are excited.

o Subject: "They"

o Verb: "are" (linking verb)

3. Sentence Structure

a) Simple Sentence

A simple sentence contains one independent clause, which means it has a subject and a verb and
expresses a complete idea.

 I read books.

 The dog barks loudly.

b) Compound Sentence

A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction
(for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or a semicolon (;).

 I read books, and I write stories.

 She wanted to go swimming, but the pool was closed.

Structure:
Independent clause + coordinating conjunction + independent clause

c) Complex Sentence

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. A
dependent (subordinate) clause has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

 Although it was raining, we went for a walk.

 She finished her homework before she went out.

Structure:
Dependent clause + Independent clause
or
Independent clause + Dependent clause

d) Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent
clause.

 After we finished dinner, we watched a movie, and then we went to bed.

4. Types of Sentences (Based on Function)

1. Declarative Sentence (Statement):

o Purpose: To make a statement or provide information.

o Example: The sun is shining brightly.

2. Interrogative Sentence (Question):

o Purpose: To ask a question.

o End punctuation: Question mark (?)

o Example: What time is the meeting?

3. Imperative Sentence (Command or Request):

o Purpose: To give a command or make a request.

o End punctuation: Period (.) or exclamation mark (!)

o Example: Please close the door.

4. Exclamatory Sentence (Exclamation):

o Purpose: To express strong emotion or excitement.

o End punctuation: Exclamation mark (!)

o Example: What a beautiful day!

5. Key Tips for Constructing Effective Sentences

1. Ensure subject-verb agreement: The subject and verb must match in number (singular or plural).

o Correct: The dog runs quickly.

o Incorrect: The dog run quickly.

2. Keep sentences clear and concise: Avoid unnecessary words or overly long constructions that
confuse the meaning.

o Wordy: Due to the fact that it was raining, we canceled the picnic.

o Concise: Because it was raining, we canceled the picnic.

3. Use correct punctuation: Punctuation helps to clarify meaning and prevent confusion.

o Incorrect: Let's eat grandma!

o Correct: Let's eat, grandma!

4. Vary sentence types: To make your writing more interesting, use a variety of simple, compound,
and complex sentences.

o Monotonous: The cat is hungry. The cat is meowing. The cat wants food.
 o Improved: The cat is hungry, so it is meowing loudly because it wants food.

6. Common Sentence Errors

1. Fragment: A group of words that does not express a complete thought. It’s missing either a
subject, a verb, or both.

o Fragment: Because I was tired.

o Complete sentence: I went to bed early because I was tired.

2. Run-on Sentence: Two or more independent clauses that are improperly joined without
punctuation or conjunctions.

o Run-on: I like coffee it keeps me awake.

o Fixed: I like coffee because it keeps me awake.

3. Comma Splice: Two independent clauses joined by a comma without a conjunction.

o Comma splice: She likes ice cream, he prefers cake.

o Fixed: She likes ice cream, but he prefers cake.

Practice: Identify and Fix the Sentences

Try to identify the errors in the following sentences and fix them.

1. The dog barks loudly, it wakes up the neighbors.

2. Because he was late to the meeting.

3. She running to the store.

4. We finished our homework we went to the park.