A sentence is a complete idea that includes a subject and a verb. It is the largest independent unit of grammar. It can be declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory.
Sentences are also categorized by their function, which is separate from their structure. The types of sentences are simple, compound, and complex-complex.
The subjects and verbs in a sentence must agree with each other. A singular subject must have a singular verb, and a plural subject must have a plural verb. For example, Polly is a dentist and loves to eat candy. Her brother, who is a student, works in the same school. The Principal and teachers are both interested in attending the book fair.
If the subject has more than one verb, you must use a subordinating conjunction. Common ones are although, while, because, and unless. You should memorize these so that you can recognize them when they appear in a sentence.
Vary your sentence length to keep your writing interesting. If you write several long sentences in a row, it can get monotonous for your readers. Try using a few short sentences in between longer ones to break up the flow of your ideas.
Be careful not to use comma splices, which are two sentences connected by a comma instead of a period. This is a common mistake that makes sentences seem awkward and choppy. Commas are used to connect subordinate clauses to the main sentence, but they can also cause confusion if used incorrectly.
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