1. Subject: This is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about. It performs the action or is the focus of the sentence.
2. Verb: This is the action word that tells what the subject does or is.
3. Complete Thought: The sentence must convey a complete and understandable idea. This often includes an object or a complement that provides more information about the subject or verb.
Let's break down an example:
"The cat sat on the mat."
* Subject: The cat
* Verb: sat
* Complete Thought: The sentence conveys the complete idea that the cat performed the action of sitting on the mat.
While some sentences may appear to lack one of these components, they are still technically present:
* "Go!" (implied subject "you" and verb "go")
* "Wow!" (implied subject "I" and verb "feel" or "think")
It's important to note that sentences can have other components, such as objects, complements, modifiers, etc. However, subject, verb, and a complete thought are the essential elements for a grammatically correct sentence.