LECTURE 1/ THE SENTENCE: AN OVERVIEW

Lecture 1
The Sentence
The sentence in English can be defined in many ways and forms. Some of these definitions are listed as follows:
• It is a group of words expressing a complete thought.
• It is an expression of thought or feeling by means of a word or words used in such forms and manner as to convey the meaning intended
• It is an oral or written communication made up of one or more units, each of which contains a complete utterance formed according to a definite pattern
• It is a communication in words conveying a sense of completeness containing at least one independent verb with its subject.
• It is a word or group of words standing between the initial Capital letter and a mark of end punctuation or between two marks of end punctuation.

Types of sentences
Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex
- Simple Sentences
A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb. It expresses a single complete thought that can stand on its own.
Examples:
1. The baby cried for food.
(There is a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought).
2. Professor Maple’s intelligent students completed and turned in their homework.
Note: A simple sentence does not necessarily have to be short. It can have adjectives. In this case, there are two verbs “completed” and “turned in.” However, the sentence expresses one complete thought and therefore is a simple sentence.
3. Megan and Ron ate too much and felt sick.
(Although there are two subjects and two verbs, it is still a simple sentence because both verbs share the same subjects and express one complete thought).