A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete idea. It is the largest independent unit of grammar. Sentences can be declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory. They can have a single subject and a verb, or a multiple subjects and verbs. They may also include objects. A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point.
The first thing you need to know about sentences is that they consist of subjects, verbs, and objects. Each word in a sentence contributes to the meaning, but some words carry more weight than others. A verb is a word that indicates an action or state of being, while an object is something that the subject interacts with.
Next, you need to understand clauses, which are groups of words containing a subject and a verb. Sentences are built from these clauses, and can be simple, compound, or complex. A simple sentence contains only one independent clause. A compound sentence consists of two or more simple sentences joined together with coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or a semicolon. A complex sentence consists of one or more independent clauses joined with subordinating conjunctions (because, that, when, who, where, why, how).
While you should be wary of fragments and comma splices, you also need to avoid overly rigid structures and excessively formal punctuation. While it’s important to write clearly, it’s equally necessary to create a writing style that fits your voice and audience.