Definition
 A
sentence is a group of words which is usually a grammatically complete
statement.
It
is often the expression of a thought.
In
writing, sentences should begin with a capital
letter and end with a full stop.
Examples
Command |
Keep left. |
Question |
Is James joining us for breakfast? |
Statement |
Smoking can damage your health. |
A
normal sentence in English usually contains at least three elements:
a subject, a verb, and an object.
Subject |
Verb |
Object |
The cat |
eats |
the goldfish |
My friend |
is |
tall |
Some sheep |
are |
black |
Use
The
sentence is a unit of meaning in both speech and writing.
We
speak in sentences automatically from the time we first acquire
language.
A
sentence is defined as a grammatically complete
unit, but it might need other sentences around it to make its meaning
clear.
Constructing written sentences
may be difficult. This is a skill which has to be learned.
Written
sentences may be very short ['Jesus wept'] or very long, but their
underlying structure must follow grammatical
conventions.
There
are various kinds of sentences - simple, complex, and compound.
A simple sentence
is one which contains phrases rather
than clauses. A simple sentence contains
one subject and one object or predicate. For example:
Subject |
Verb |
Predicate |
I |
am |
the head of this department. |
We |
won |
last Saturday's match. |
Jean |
is |
in the house. |
In
all the examples above, when the subject is removed we are left
with a phrase - an utterance which has no finite verb.
The
expressions 'in the house', 'last Saturday's match', and 'the head
of this department', are all phrases not clauses.
A
complex sentence contains one or more subordinate clauses.
In the examples which follow, the subordinate clause is emphasised.
- The suspect denied that he had been in the neighbourhood.
- You won't persuade me to stay no matter how
hard you try.
- Despite the fact
that I had ordered
the meal, I left
the restaurant when
I saw him arrive.
- I
went out
shopping, although
it was
raining,
and bought
a basket
of fruit.
In
all these examples, the removal of the main clause leaves another
clause (an utterance with a finite verb) and not a phrase.
A compound sentence
is one in which contains two or more co-ordinating parts.
- It's starting to rain // and I have left my deck-chair outside.
- The film we saw last night // was interesting
and enjoyable.
- We have no red towels
// but we have plenty
of green ones.
The
following terms can be used to classify types of sentences by their function.
A statement -
grammatically defined by the position of the subject immediately
before the verb:
- The pen is mightier than the sword
A question -
grammatically defined by the initial element being 'how', 'what',
'when', 'where', or 'why':
- How many spoons are in that box?
A command -
grammatically defined by the initial positioning of the verb:
- Go to the bus stop and wait for your father.
An exclamation -
grammatically defined by an initial 'what', 'how', and the rest
of the utterance being in statement form:
- What a pity it's raining for our picnic!
It
is possible to have meaningful sentences which do not have all
three normal elements:
[Subject - Verb - Object]
In
such cases, any missing part is usually implied -
Many
people lose grammatical control of their sentences because they
use:
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