Mastering Academic Writing Fundamentals
Sentence Construction
The Core of a Sentence
Every complete sentence, no matter how long or short, has two essential parts: a subject and a predicate. Think of them as the foundation of a house. Without both, the structure collapses.
Subject
noun
The person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about. It's the who or what performing the action.
The subject tells us who or what the sentence is focusing on. It can be a single word, like Maria, or a group of words, like the little brown dog.
Predicate
noun
The part of the sentence that tells us what the subject is or does. It always contains a verb.
The predicate provides the action or state of being. It's everything in the sentence that isn't the subject. Often, the predicate includes more than just a verb. It might also have an object.
An object receives the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence He threw the ball, "the ball" is the object because it's the thing being thrown.
Common Pitfalls
Knowing the parts of a sentence helps you avoid two common mistakes: fragments and run-on sentences.
A sentence fragment is an incomplete thought posing as a sentence. It's missing either a subject, a predicate, or both.
| Fragment | Why it's a fragment | Complete Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Ran to the store. | Missing a subject (Who ran?) | She ran to the store. |
| The dog in the yard. | Missing a predicate (What about the dog?) | The dog in the yard barked loudly. |
| Because it was raining. | It's a dependent clause, not a full sentence. | We stayed inside because it was raining. |
The other common error is the run-on sentence. This happens when two or more complete sentences (also called independent clauses) are smashed together without proper punctuation or connecting words.
A run-on sentence isn't just a very long sentence. It's an incorrectly joined one.
Here's an example of a run-on:
The sun was setting it was beautiful.
This contains two complete thoughts: (1) The sun was setting. (2) It was beautiful. Here are three ways to fix it:
- Use a period: The sun was setting. It was beautiful.
- Use a semicolon: The sun was setting; it was beautiful.
- Use a comma and a conjunction: The sun was setting, and it was beautiful.
Building Better Sentences
Once you can write a complete sentence, you can start building different types to make your writing more interesting. There are three basic structures to learn.
A simple sentence has one subject and one predicate. It expresses a single complete thought.
The baby cried.
A simple sentence isn't always short. It can have a more complex subject or predicate and still be a simple sentence.
The tired, hungry baby cried for his mother.
A compound sentence contains two or more complete sentences joined together. They are connected by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.
The baby cried, so his mother picked him up.
The easiest way to join two independent clauses is with a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction. You can remember them with the acronym FANBOYS.
| Conjunction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| For | Cause/Reason |
| And | Addition |
| Nor | Negative choice |
| But | Contrast |
| Or | Choice |
| Yet | Contrast |
| So | Effect/Result |
A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. A dependent clause has a subject and verb but can't stand alone as a sentence.
When the baby cried, his mother picked him up.
In that example, "his mother picked him up" is the independent clause—it's a complete thought. "When the baby cried" is the dependent clause. It adds information, but it isn't a complete sentence on its own. Dependent clauses often start with words like because, since, after, although, or when.
Ready to test your sentence-building skills?
What are the two essential parts of every complete sentence?
Identify the subject in the following sentence: "The little brown dog chased the red ball."
Mastering these structures is the first step toward writing with clarity and style. By understanding the basic building blocks, you can construct sentences that effectively communicate your ideas.