This Grammar Lesson Sentences is a simple explanation of what a Sentence is.
Simple and Complex sentences
In grammar, a Sentence is the basic grammatical unit. It contains a group of words and expresses a complete thought.
A sentence consists of a Subject and a predicate. For example in the sentence “Bill writes good poems” Bill is the subject of the sentence and writes good poems is the predicate.
Simple sentences contain one clause:
- The girl is learning how to drive
Complex sentences contain more than one clause.
- The girl who is learning how to drive is still twelve years old.
- She faced the whole trouble with courage and managed to solve the problem all by herself.
Types of sentences
There are four types of sentences:
- Declarative sentence
Applicants will be answered in due time. (It makes a statement.) - Imperative sentence
Show me your photo album, please. ( Gives a command or makes a request.) - Interrogative sentence
Do you like this photo? (Asks a question.) - Exclamatory sentence
What a beautiful dress she is wearing ! (Shows strong feeling)
What is a subject?
The subject is one of the main two parts of a sentence. According to traditional grammar, a sentence consists of two parts:
- a subject,
- a predicate which modifies the subject.
consider the following sentence:
- Leila loves painting.
- Leila is the subject and likes soccer acts as the predicate
What is a predicate?
In traditional grammar, a sentence consists of two parts:
- a subject,
- a predicate which modifies the subject.
consider the following sentence:
- Bill likes soccer.
Bill is the subject and likes soccer acts as the predicate (a subsequent description of the subject which is headed with the verb likes.)
Predicates provide information about the subject, such as what the subject is doing or what the subject is like. It must contain a verb but may also contain other sentence elements. These elements may be objects (direct and indirect objects), adverbials…
Examples of predicates
- He laughs. (Predicate containing only a verb)
- She writes poems. (Direct object)
- They gave me a gift . (Indirect object and a direct object)
- He saw her in the hospital . (Adverbial)
When the subject and the predicate are connected with a linking verb, the predicate is either nominal, adjectival or adverbial complement:
Nominal predicates:
- He is the president.
- These are the candidates.
Adjectival predicates:
- She is beautiful.
- They are careless.
Adverbial complement:
- He is in the kitchen.
- We are in the house.
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