Learn how to write complete sentences - the building blocks of all writing! Discover what makes a sentence complete, practice different types of sentences, and avoid common mistakes.
✅ Recommended for: Class 3-4 (Beginner) | Class 5-6 (Review)
1. What is a Sentence?
Sentence: A group of words that expresses a complete thought. Every sentence must have two main parts: a subject and a predicate.
Remember: A sentence tells us something, asks something, orders something, or expresses strong feeling. Without sentences, we cannot share our ideas clearly!
A sentence is like a complete idea that makes sense by itself. Think of it as telling someone a little story or sharing one complete thought. When you speak or write, you use sentences to communicate.
Let's look at examples:
✓ Complete Sentence: "The cat sleeps on the mat."
This is complete because we know who (the cat) and what (sleeps on the mat).
✗ NOT a Sentence: "On the mat."
This is incomplete because we don't know what is on the mat!
Every day, you use sentences when you talk to friends, ask questions in class, or tell stories. Learning to write good sentences helps you express your thoughts clearly in writing too.
2. Parts of a Sentence - Subject and Predicate
Every complete sentence has two main parts that work together:
| Part | What It Is | Example | How to Find It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | The person, animal, place, or thing that the sentence is about. It tells us WHO or WHAT does something. | The boy My dog She The big red ball |
Ask "who?" or "what?" before the verb. Example: "The bird sings." What sings? The bird (subject) |
| Predicate | What the subject does or is. It tells us WHAT HAPPENS or WHAT THE SUBJECT IS LIKE. | plays football barks loudly is happy rolled down the hill |
Everything in the sentence except the subject. Contains the verb and additional information. |
Let's practice finding subjects and predicates:
Example 1: "Rahul reads a book."
• Subject: Rahul (Who reads?)
• Predicate: reads a book (What does Rahul do?)
Example 2: "The sun is shining brightly."
• Subject: The sun (What is shining?)
• Predicate: is shining brightly (What is the sun doing?)
Important: A sentence must have BOTH a subject and a predicate to be complete. If one is missing, it's like having a bicycle with only one wheel - it won't work properly!
3. Four Types of Sentences - Each With a Different Job
Sentences can do different jobs in our communication. Here are the four main types:
| Type | Purpose/Job | End Mark | Examples | How to Say It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Declarative | Makes a statement or tells something. Most common type. | Period (.) | • I have a red ball. • The sky is blue. • Today is Monday. • My mother cooks delicious food. |
Say it in a normal, flat voice. Your voice stays the same. |
| Interrogative | Asks a question to get information. | Question mark (?) | • What is your name? • Are you coming? • Do you like ice cream? • Where is my pencil? |
Make your voice go UP at the end, like you're curious. |
| Imperative | Gives a command, order, or request. Often starts with a verb. | Period (.) or Exclamation (!) | • Close the door. • Please sit down. • Stop! • Clean your room. |
Say it firmly but politely. Can be strong or gentle. |
| Exclamatory | Shows strong feeling, emotion, or surprise. | Exclamation mark (!) | • What a beautiful day! • I won the prize! • Watch out! • That's amazing! |
Say it with excitement, loudly or with strong feeling. |
Fun Practice: Read each example aloud with the correct voice tone. Notice how the end mark (. ? !) tells you how to say the sentence!
4. Complete vs Incomplete Sentences - How to Tell the Difference
Sometimes we write groups of words that look like sentences but aren't complete. These are called "sentence fragments." Here's how to spot them:
| Test Question | Complete Sentence | Incomplete (Fragment) | Why It's Incomplete |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Does it have a subject? | ✓ Birds fly. | ✗ Fly in the sky. | Who flies? We don't know! Missing subject. |
| 2. Does it have a predicate? | ✓ The sun shines. | ✗ The bright sun. | What does the sun do? Missing action/verb. |
| 3. Does it express complete thought? | ✓ I play football. | ✗ When I play football. | What happens when? Thought not finished. |
| 4. Does it start with capital? | ✓ She reads books. | ✗ she reads books. | Missing capital letter at beginning. |
| 5. Does it have end mark? | ✓ We eat lunch. | ✗ We eat lunch | Missing period, question mark, or exclamation. |
Quick Test: Say "I think that..." before the words. If it makes sense, it's probably a complete sentence!
✓ Complete: "I think that the cat is sleeping." (Makes sense!)
✗ Incomplete: "I think that when the cat is sleeping." (Waiting for more information!)
5. Building Better Sentences - Adding Details
Good writers make their sentences interesting by adding details. Start with a simple sentence, then make it better!
| Simple Sentence | Added Detail | Better Sentence | What Was Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| The dog barks. | Add "when" | The dog barks when the doorbell rings. | Time detail (when it happens) |
| She reads. | Add "what" and "where" | She reads storybooks in the library. | Object (what) + place (where) |
| I eat. | Add "what" and "when" | I eat breakfast every morning. | Object (what) + time (when) |
| It is raining. | Add "how" | It is raining heavily today. | Manner (how) + time (when) |
Details you can add to make sentences better:
- Who: My little brother, The old man, Our teacher Mrs. Sharma
- What kind: a red ball, delicious food, interesting stories, tall building
- Where: in the park, at school, under the table, near the river
- When: every day, yesterday, in the morning, last week
- How: quickly, happily, carefully, loudly, quietly
- Why: because it's hot, to win the game, for fun
Practice: Take the simple sentence "The girl sings." Add at least two details to make it better.
Possible answers: The little girl sings happily in the school choir. The girl with curly hair sings beautiful songs every evening.
🎯 Sentence Writing Challenge
Test your sentence writing skills with these practice questions.
1. What type of sentence is this? "Do you like chocolate?"
2. Complete this sentence: "The little cat _____"
3. Fix this sentence: "my dog likes to run"
4. Make this sentence better: "The boy plays."
5. Is this a complete sentence? "Under the big tree."
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. No capital at start:
✗ my cat sleeps
✓ My cat sleeps.
2. No end mark:
✗ She runs
✓ She runs.
3. Missing subject:
✗ Is happy
✓ She is happy.
4. Missing predicate:
✗ The big elephant
✓ The big elephant eats leaves.
5. Incomplete thought:
✗ When I go
✓ When I go to school, I meet friends.
6. Run-on sentences (two sentences without separation):
✗ I like apples they are sweet
✓ I like apples. They are sweet.
✓ I like apples because they are sweet.
7. Memory Aids & Learning Tips
Sentence Checklist (Always check these 5):
1. ✓ Starts with capital letter
2. ✓ Has a subject (who/what)
3. ✓ Has a predicate (does what)
4. ✓ Expresses complete thought
5. ✓ Ends with . ! or ?
Types of Sentences Song (to remember end marks):
Statement tells, ends with dot (.)
Question asks, ends with what (?)
Command orders, ends with dot or bang (. !)
Exclamation shouts, ends with bang (!)
Practice Strategies:
1. Read aloud: If it sounds complete, it probably is.
2. Find subject first: Ask "who/what is this about?"
3. Find predicate next: Ask "what does/he/she/it do?"
4. Add details: Always ask "can I add where/when/how/why?"
5. Check end marks: Match the mark to the sentence type.
📝 Practice Sentence Writing
Master sentence writing with our beginner-friendly worksheet!
Go to Sentence Writing WorksheetIncludes: Complete vs incomplete sentences • Sentence types • Error correction • Building better sentences • Answer key
