Sentence structure

Front

What is a subject in a sentence?

Back

The subject is the part of a sentence that tells who or what the sentence is about. For example, in the sentence 'John looked out of the window,' 'John' is the subject.

Front

What is a complete sentence?

Back

A complete sentence expresses a complete thought and contains at least a subject and a verb. For example, 'Some people call any bad-tempered horse a bronco.'

Front

What is a sentence fragment?

Back

A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. It may lack a subject or a verb.

Front

When do you need a comma in a sentence?

Back

A comma is needed to separate independent clauses joined by a conjunction, to clarify meaning, or to separate items in a list. For example, 'I want to go to Nashville this summer, and I want to go to New York this Christmas.'

Front

What is a simple predicate?

Back

The simple predicate is the main verb or verb phrase that tells what the subject does. In 'Cardinals nest in our yard every spring,' 'nest' is the simple predicate.

Front

What is a simple sentence?

Back

A simple sentence contains one independent clause and expresses a complete thought. For example, 'I like to read.'

Front

What is a compound sentence?

Back

A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction. For example, 'I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.'

Front

What is a complex sentence?

Back

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. For example, 'Although it was raining, I went for a walk.'

Front

What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

Front

What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.