W.H. Chapter 1: The Sentence and It’s Parts (pg1)
The Sentence
Def: A sentence is a word or word group that contains a subject and a
verb and that expresses a complete thought.
- A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, a
question mark, or an exclamation point.
Sentence or Fragment?
Def: A sentence fragment is a group of words that look like a sentence
but does not contain both a subject and a verb or does not express a
complete thought.
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Complete Subject
Def: Includes all the words that tell whom or what the sentence is about.
ure. (Nouns)
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Simple Subject
Ex: Sailing around the world. (Lacks a subject)
Ex: Some architects bring nature indoors.
Ex: The girls on the team were all good students.
Def: The main word or word group (noun) in the complete subject.
-Only one word, unless it is someone’s name
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Ex: The cozy shelter hides her newborns.
Ex: Robert Peary explored the North Pole.
The four new students arrived early.
Complete Subject: The four new students
Simple Subject: students
Complete Predicate
Def: Includes the main verb and all the verbs that complete the meaning
of the sentence.
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Ex: Some architects bring nature indoors.
Like the subject, the predicate may be found anywhere in a sentence.
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Simple Predicate
Ex: Outside the tent was a baby bear.
Ex: Late in the night we heard a noise.
Def: The main word (verb) in the complete predicate
-Only one word

Ex: Few trees grow in the prairie.
X Decide if the sentences below are sentences or fragments.
1. Fishing, skiing, and swimming in the lake. ________________
2. Listen closely to our guest speaker._______________
W.H. Chapter 1: The Sentence and It’s Parts (pg2)
Verb Phrases
It is made up of a main verb and one or more helping verbs.
 Ex: The network has been turning the lights on and off.
Helping Verbs
Forms of be: is, am, was, were, be, been
Forms of do: do, does, did
Forms of have: has, have, had
Others: may, might, can, should, could, would, shall, will
Compound Subject
Def: Is made up of two or more subjects that share the same verb.
They are joined together by a conjunction, or connecting word, such as
and, or, or but.
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Compound Verb
Ex: Jack and Jill are running.
Def: Two or more verbs that have the same subject.
They are joined together by a conjunction, such as and, or, or but.

Ex: Jack ran up the hill and fell down.
Kinds of Sentences
There are four different types of sentences
Declarative Sentence
Def: It makes a statement and ends with a period.

Imperative Sentence
Ex: I couldn’t hear what Jason said.
Def: Gives a command or makes a request. Most end with a period, but
a strong command ends with an exclamation point.
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Ex: Be quiet during the play.
Ex: Fire!
-The subject of a command or request is always you, even if you
doesn’t appear in the sentence.
Interrogative Sentence
Def: A sentence that asks a question and ends with a question mark.

Exclamatory Sentence
Ex: How much did that surfboard cost?
Def: A sentence that shows excitement or expresses strong feelings and
ends with an exclamation point.

Ex: Gabriella won the match!
X The lava from the volcano hardens when it cools.
1. What is the complete subject?
2. What is the simple subject?
3. What is the verb?
4. What is the complete predicate?