Sentence Structure

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.

A complete thought is a statement that can stand alone as a sentence. It conveys a clear idea.

An incomplete thought is a statement that does not express a complete idea and cannot stand alone as a sentence.

A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined with just a comma, without a coordinating conjunction.

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions.

A fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought and is not a complete sentence.

The subject of a sentence is who or what the sentence is about.

The predicate of a sentence tells what the subject is doing or what is being said about the subject.

A conjunction is a word that connects clauses or sentences, such as 'and', 'but', or 'or'.