A sentence is a unit of language that can stand on its own as a statement, question, command, or exclamation. A full sentence in standard written English usually contains at least one independent clause.
What makes a sentence complete?
In The ferry left at noon., the ferry is the subject, and left at noon is the predicate. Together they form an independent clause, which can stand as a sentence. A command can be as short as Wait! because the subject you is understood.
Four jobs a sentence can do
- Statement (declarative). The ferry left at noon.
- Question (interrogative). When did the ferry leave?
- Command (imperative). Wait by the gate.
- Exclamation (exclamatory). What a relief that was!
A period usually ends a statement or neutral command. A question mark ends a direct question. An exclamation point marks strong feeling or emphasis.
How to complete a fragment
Because the bridge was closed is a dependent clause. Attach it to a main clause to make a full sentence. We turned around because the bridge was closed.
For the parts inside a clause, see components of a sentence. To see how clauses combine, start with sentence structure.
