Complete Sentences
* Have a subject and a verb: They tell us who or what is doing something.
* Express a complete thought: They stand alone and make sense on their own.
* Have proper punctuation: They end with a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation point (!).
Examples of Complete Sentences:
* The cat sat on the mat. (Subject: cat, Verb: sat)
* Did you see the movie last night? (Subject: you, Verb: see)
* Wow, that was an amazing performance! (Subject: performance, Verb: was)
Sentence Fragments
* Lack a subject or verb: They are missing a key part needed to make a complete thought.
* Don't express a complete thought: They leave the reader wanting more information.
* May be punctuated incorrectly: They may be missing punctuation or have improper punctuation.
Examples of Sentence Fragments:
* Running through the park. (Missing a subject)
* Because the weather was beautiful. (Missing a verb and a subject)
* The dog, wagging its tail happily. (Missing a verb)
How to Fix Sentence Fragments
* Add a subject: "Running through the park, he enjoyed the sunshine."
* Add a verb: "Because the weather was beautiful, we decided to go for a walk."
* Combine the fragment with a complete sentence: "The dog was wagging its tail happily as he greeted his owner."
Remember: Identifying sentence fragments can be tricky, but understanding the essential components (subject and verb) will help you create clear and grammatically correct sentences.