Sentence Structure

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What Is a Sentence?

“Hungry?” “Starved!” “Want a double cheeseburger?” “With a large order of fries.”

You’ve had many ordinary conversations like this one, in which single words and short phrases carry complete messages. Signs, too, often communicate in phrases: No Exit, Wet Paint, One Way, Falling Rocks. These phrases make sense because of the setting in which you see them. The words wet paint don’t mean much on their own, but placed on a sign by a glistening park bench, they deliver a clear message.

In most written communication, however, single words or phrases aren’t enough to make the meaning clear. When you write, you must express your thoughts in complete sentences in order to avoid misunderstandings and making people try to read your mind.

A word group must pass three tests in order to be called a sentence. First, it must have a subject that tells who or what the sentence is about. What is the subject of this sentence?

The little boy and his mother bravely decided to ride the huge roller coaster.

This sentence is about the little boy and his mother, so the little boy and his mother is the subject of the sentence. (This happens to be what is called a compound subject because it is about more than one thing or person.)

Second, a sentence must have a predicate that tells what the subject is or does. Everything in the sentence that is not part of the subject is called the predicate. What is the predicate of the above sentence about the little boy? Right! The predicate is bravely decided to ride the huge roller coaster.

Finally, a sentence must express a complete thought. That is, when you read it, you are not left with unanswered questions, such as who did it? or what did she do? Even if the group of words has a subject and a verb, it may not express a complete thought.

For example:
Whoever studied a lot.
Even though there is a subject (whoever) and a verb (studied) this sentence makes no sense. It does not express a complete thought. We could change it to say: Whoever studied a lot did well on the test. Now it makes more sense.

A group of words that does not pass these three tests, is called a fragment.

Fragment: Ran away with the bone. (missing a subject)
Correct: A dog ran away with the bone.

Fragment: Helped her get a job as a cashier. (missing a subject)
Correct: Her friend in the diner helped her get a job as a cashier.

Fragment: The rags under the sink. (missing a predicate)
Correct: The rags under the sink are dirty.

You may, at this point, be saying to yourself, “What is the difference between the predicate and the verb?” And that’s a very good question.

The verb is usually one or two words describing that action (or state of being ) that the subject does. The predicate includes the verb, but also adds other describing words or phrases—everything that is not the subject. You can refer back to the Verbs Worksheet if you need more practice picking out the verb in a sentence.

You try it:

Write C if the group of words is a complete sentence. Write F if it is a fragment.

1. “Road rage” is an act of aggression similar to an assault.
2. Taking place after two drivers have a disagreement.
3. Tailgating, yelling curses, and flashing the headlights.
4. Also fall into this category.
5. Because driving can be very stressful.
6. Some drivers are unable to control themselves.
7. Often these drivers are already angry about a problem at home or work.

Click here for answers 1. C 2. F 3. F 4. F 5. F 6. C 7. C

Now try a few more just to make sure you can easily recognize sentence fragments:

Put a check by the sentence fragment in each group.

1.	Always complaining about something.
	That game was exciting!
	Liz has three motorcycles.
	It was fun.
2.	There are no vacancies in this building.
	I now understand how to do story problems.
	To tell you the truth.
	The wind blew before the storm.
3.	One of my coworkers at the store.
	If you rest, you will feel better.
	Go home!
	Wendell knows the answer.
4.	Some cash registers are actually computers.
	Even though I missed my usual bus.
	Having spent our bus money, we had to walk home.
	Being a professional singer is my goal.
5.	Luckily, no one was hurt.
	We won!
	Tomatoes that are grown in hothouses don’t taste as good.
	They stood and cheered the home team’s victory.
	Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Click here for answers 1. Always complaining about something. 2. To tell you the truth. 3. One of my coworkers at the store. 4. Even though I missed my usual bus. 5. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

 

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Resources:
Cambridge Program for the Writing Test, The. (1981). Cambridge Book Company: New York, NY.
GED Test 1: Writing Skills. (2001). McGraw-Hill/Contemporary: Lincolnwood, IL.
GED: Writing Skills. (1996). Steck-Vaughn Company: Austin, TX.
Hoyt, Cathy Fillmore. (1998). GED Program: Writing Skills. Cambridge Adult Education: Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Pre-GED Writing Skills. (1995). NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group: Lincolnwood, IL.
Strategies for Success: Writing, Pre-GED. (1987). Steck-Vaughn Company: Austin, TX.