Sentences

Sentences and Fragments

Fragment—no subject

oFelt happy and relaxed.

Sentence:

oI felt happy and relaxed.

Fragment—no predicate (verb)

oThe sign in the rehearsal hall.

Sentence:

oThe sign in the rehearsal hall indicated the audition results.

Fragment—not a complete idea

oWhen she first touched the drums.

Sentence:

oWhen she first touched the drums, her family wondered why they had consented to let her play.

Complete sentence must have

o SUBJECT

o PREDICATE (VERB)

o COMPLETE IDEA

Sentence or Fragment?1. An array of finely tuned instruments.

2. Will play any instrument in the band.

3. In the concert hall on the stage.

4. Stringed, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.

5. That’s loud.

6. Wanting to play the harp.

7. To play the violin takes many years of practice.

8. Performers playing electronic instruments such as synthesizers or electric guitars.

9. Achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s.

10. After you finish reading, I will practice the cello.

Subjects and Predicates

Complete Subjects and Predicates

COMPLETE SUBJECT COMPLETE PREDICATE

Several pilots from various / have vanished in or near the countries Bermuda Triangle.

The Bermuda Triangle, the area / lies between Florida, Bermuda, in question and Puerto Rico.

The U.S.S. Cyclops / disappeared there in 1918.

He / read about many different careers.

The nurse in the white uniform / arrived.

Two of his friends / studied law enforcement.

Sick in bed, she / had missed her job interview.

Complete Subject includes a NOUN or PRONOUN that names the person, place, or thing that the sentence is about.

Complete Predicate includes a VERB that tells something about the complete subject.

Complete Subjects and Predicates

1. The tired nurse completed her rounds.

2. Nurses teach preventative care and rehabilitation.

3. Most nurses work in hospitals.

4. Other nurses provide their services in health agencies, nursing homes, offices, schools, and industries.

5. Nurses can be educators, administrators, and supervisors.

6. Most nursing was done at home in the nineteenth century.

Simple Subjects and Predicates

SUBJECT PREDICATE

Several pilots from various / have vanished in or near the countries Bermuda Triangle.

The Bermuda Triangle, the area / lies between Florida, Bermuda, in question and Puerto Rico.

The U.S.S. Cyclops / disappeared there in 1918.

He / read about many different careers.

The nurse in the white uniform / arrived.

Two of his friends / studied law enforcement.

Sick in bed, she / had missed her job interview.

Simple Subject is the essential NOUN, PRONOUN, or group of words acting as a noun that cannot be left out of the complete subject.

Simple Predicate is the essential VERB or VERB PHRASE that cannot be left out of the complete predicate.

Simple Subjects and Predicates1. A friend of mine visited the police barracks.

2. The police are government agents.

3. They protect citizens from unlawful acts.

4. The U.S. police establishment operates at several levels.

5. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the largest and most important department.

6. Two other federal departments are the Secret Service and the Customs Service.

Compound Subjects and Verbs

COMPOUND SUBJECTS:

oYou and she took entrance tests yesterday.

oEither the actor or the director will talk at our career day.

oSnow, ice, and flooding made the roads dangerous.

COMPOUND VERBS:

oI neither want nor need your help on the test.

oThe children hopped, skipped, and jumped around the playground.

COMPOUND SUBJECTS AND VERBS:

oThe boys and girls danced and listened to the music for hours.

Compound Subject is 2 or more subjects that have the same verb and are joined by a conjunction such as and, but, or or.

Compound Verb is 2 or more verbs that have the same subject and are joined by a conjunction such as and or or.

Compound Subjects and Verbs1. Carpenters and plumbers spoke to us about their trades on our career day.

2. The physical therapist and his patient plan and practice exercises.

3. Some students go to college and study to become computer programmers.

4. Programmers write and encode application programs.

5. Heat, light, water, and massage are used to treat certain physical disabilities.

6. A hot bath or hot compress heats deep, sore tissues.

7. A computer programmer will uncover and fix defects in design specifications.

8. Applications programs modify the computer’s powers and perform specific tasks.