1. Contains a Subject and Verb:
- The subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about.
- The verb tells what the subject does or is.
2. Expresses a Complete Thought:
- A sentence should convey a complete idea, not just a fragment.
3. Begins with a Capital Letter and Ends with a Punctuation Mark:
- Typically, sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation point (!).
Examples:
* Correct Sentence: The cat sat on the mat. (subject: cat, verb: sat, complete thought)
* Incorrect Sentence: Running through the park. (no subject, not a complete thought)
Other Considerations:
* Independent Clauses: A sentence can be made up of multiple independent clauses (clauses that could stand alone as a sentence).
* Dependent Clauses: Dependent clauses, which cannot stand alone, can be used within a sentence.
* Sentence Structure: Sentences can vary in structure (simple, compound, complex, etc.).
In short, a sentence is a complete thought that is expressed with a subject, verb, and proper capitalization and punctuation.