Before you master any kind of communication, you must understand the basics of forming a sentence structure. It helps us to express thoughts, ideas and emotions clearly. At its core, a sentence is nothing but a group of words that conveys a complete meaning. When you are clear with the concept of sentence structure, you can easily write a sentence that is free from grammatical errors and communicates well. This guide will explore the fundamental elements of sentence construction and how they work together.
Components of a Sentence
When we talk about the components of a sentence, we refer to the building blocks that make up a complete sentence. It comprises two main parts: The Subject and The Predicate. Let’s understand each of these more clearly:
- Subject
The subject is who or what we are talking about in the sentence. In other words, it’s the focus of the sentence or simply- the main character. A subject can function as a noun and pronoun and also include multiple words that function as nouns.
For instance, in the sentence “The little girl is singing a song,” the subject is “The little girl” because she is the one performing the action.
Subjects can be:
- Nouns: “John writes.” (John is the subject)
- Pronouns: “She sings beautifully.” (She is the subject)
- Compound subjects: “John and Mary love music.” (John and Mary together form the subject)
- The Predicate
The predicate transforms a sentence by describing what the subject performs and the statements that apply to it through verbalization. Every sentence predicate includes at least one verb while potentially including objects with complements and modifiers that help define the sentence’s meaning. Everything in a sentence that is not the subject is part of the predicate.
The predicate within “The little girl is singing a song” carries the verb “is singing” alongside the object “a song“. Away from the subject, all information present in a sentence becomes predicate content.
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Other Important Sentence Parts
There are other elements that come under the predicate of the sentence. To be said, these elements are the sub-elements of Predicate. Let’s understand the basic ones:
Verb
The verb describes the action and existing states within a sentence. Each verb type exists as an action verb, linking verb, or helping verb, which specifically contributes to the sentence’s meaning.
For example, in the sentence- “The little girl is singing”, singing is the verb here as it states the action being performed.
Object
The object receives the influence of the verb. There are two categories of objects. The first is a direct object that answers the what? or whom? in the sentence, while an Indirect object answers to whom? or for whom? the action is being performed.
Complement
Complements supply supplementary details which explain both subjects as well as objects within a sentence. Subject complements both rename or describe the subject at hand yet object complements enrich the information of the main object.
Using these components creates complete sentences, which lead to better communication during discourse.
