Find the Complete Sentence
A complete sentence tells a WHOLE idea — it has a person or thing AND what they do. 'The cat' isn't a sentence (it doesn't tell us what the cat does). 'The cat ran.' IS a sentence — it tells the whole idea.
Worked examples
Which is a complete sentence? — (A) Big yellow bus (B) The bus is yellow.
'Big yellow bus' just describes a bus — it doesn't tell what the bus DOES. 'The bus is yellow.' is a whole idea with a capital letter and a full stop.
Answer: B
Which is a complete sentence? — (A) Mum cooked dinner. (B) cooking happily
'Mum cooked dinner.' tells a whole idea (someone did something). 'cooking happily' is missing WHO is doing it.
Answer: A
Tips
- •A complete sentence needs WHO + WHAT THEY DO.
- •Start with a capital letter, end with . ? or !
- •Read it out loud — does it feel like a finished thought?
Key words
complete sentencewhole ideasubjectaction