A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. It usually includes a subject and a predicate and may be used to make a statement, ask a question, give a command, or express strong emotion.
Start with What Is a Sentence? for the basic definition, parts, types, and common errors. You can then explore detailed lessons on subjects, predicates, objects, complements, sentence structures, fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splices.
Short sentences can make your writing sound flat and disconnected. Sentence combining helps you turn those short ideas into smoother, more natural sentences. It’s a simple grammar skill that improves flow, clarity, and sentence variety. By learning how to combine…
When a sentence tells us more about the subject, not through an action, but through a definition or identity, it often uses a predicate nominative. This structure helps connect the subject to a noun or pronoun that renames or identifies…
In every sentence, the subject needs something to complete the thought. Something that tells us what the subject does or what it is. That part is called the predicate, and at the center of it is the simple predicate. Knowing…
The complete predicate is the part of a sentence that tells what the subject does or what happens to it. It includes the main verb along with all the words that describe the action or complete its meaning. Without the…
Sometimes a sentence needs more than one action to express a complete thought. Instead of repeating the subject, we use a compound predicate. It’s a structure that allows one subject to do two or more things within the same sentence.…
Some sentences contain two objects after the verb, but those objects do not perform the same job. In Daniel sent his sister a message, a message is what Daniel sent, while his sister is the person who received it. A…
In The hallway became quiet, quiet tells us something about the hallway. In Jordan is the new manager, the new manager identifies Jordan rather than referring to a different person. These are subject complements. They give information about the subject…
In the sentence Maya opened the window, the noun phrase the window is directly connected to the verb opened. It tells us what Maya opened and functions as the direct object. Now compare that with Maya waited by the window.…
Every sentence needs a subject. It’s the part that tells us who or what the sentence is about. The subject is the foundation that connects directly to the verb and gives the sentence meaning. Whether it’s one word or a…
The object is a key part of many English sentences. While the subject does the action, the object receives it. Together, they help form complete, meaningful sentences. In this article, you’ll learn what objects do in a sentence, the difference…
A comma splice happens when two complete sentences are joined with only a comma. It may seem like a small punctuation mistake, but it can cause confusion or make your writing feel unpolished, especially in formal or academic settings. Comma…
A run-on sentence happens when two or more complete thoughts are joined without proper punctuation or connecting words. Even if the ideas are clear, the sentence becomes grammatically incorrect and harder to follow. Run-on sentences are one of the most…