Human interaction involves communication eo ipso. It allows us to share ideas, convey emotions and pass along information. It is especially important to use clear and well-structured sentences in written communication. An incomplete sentence may lead to confusion, which may lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretations.
What is a Complete Sentence?
A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. It needs at least a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a predicate (what’s being said about the subject). Having complete sentences makes it clear that the reader understands what is trying to be said.
Hear this incomplete sentence, for example:
- “When we went to the park.”
The reader hangs onto this sentence. It introduces an act, but there is no clear sense of what happened when the speaker went to the park. A complete sentence would be: - “We went to the park, there was a beautiful sunset.
Initially it made no sense in that the sentence concerned a specific event, but now it does because the sentence tells the reader what exactly happened, thus giving a complete idea.
Why using complete sentences is important?
- Clarity and Understanding
Incomplete sentences leave out critical information that can create confusion. For example, imagine reading an email or a report where many sentences are designed to hang. This would leave the reader guessing, and potentially lead to confusion. Using full sentences, the writer can articulate their thoughts clarifying and expressing intent. - Professionalism
Writing in complete sentences communicates something else as well: this is important, I mean it. Clarity in your writing shows professionalism, whether you’re writing an email, report, or presentation. Try not to write half-finished sentences. - Structure and Flow
In writing, complete sentences ensure the structure and flow. They show the reader how the narrative or argument unfolds and help them track the flow of ideas. If a sentence is incomplete, it breaks this flow and inhibits the reader from grasping the text[/end]s main idea. - Emotional Impact
For creative writing, poetry or storytelling, complete sentences express things in emotion. An unfinished sentence may let the reader feeling like something has not been done right or will not keep them hooked up to the story. This can only happen when the complete, well-structured sentence conveys the emotional tone as intended.
Common Errors with Sentence Fragments
- Fragmented Sentences
A sentence fragment happens when a group of words is not an entire thought. This occurs when either subject or predicate is absent. For example:
- “Although we tried hard.” (This is where the reader thinks: what happened?)
- To remedy this example, you might say, “We worked really hard, but we were unable to complete the project on time.”
- Run-on Sentences
Some people will just caveman the language together some complete thoughts—several independent clauses—up in a single sentence without any punctuation or conjunctions. For example:
- I had gone to the store I had purchased groceries.
- This is corrected by adding a conjunction or punctuation: “I went to the store, and I bought groceries.”
Sentence Completion How To Guide
- Review Your Writing
Reading a typed article is the last chance to see if there are incomplete thoughts before they go to print. Focus on making sure that every sentence conveys a full, clear idea. - Use Proper Punctuation
Use punctuation marks (periods, perfecting commas, conjunctions) to divide ideas appropriately. It can further help arrange ideas and avoid independent clauses to be sentence fragments or run-ons. - Stay on Topic
This means each sentence must have a subject (what it is about) and predicate (what it does), that is relevant to the main idea of the writing. Lingering off-topic mid-sentence means you’re probably not finishing what you started. - Ask for Feedback
If you aren’t sure whether your sentences are clear, have someone else read your writing. Someone else reading your post can help catch incomplete or confusing sentences you might miss.
Conclusion
The building blocks of clear, effective communication are complete sentences. They help to ensure that ideas are communicated correctly and that the reader understands what is written without getting confused. In anything from writing articles to writing a novel to playing around writing texts, putting an actual effort to write and express entire sentences instead of just some words can increase the quality of the output a lot.
Remember: a sentence is not just words strung together. It’s about ensuring those words unite into an expression with meaning, a complete thought. So the next time you put pen to paper (or fingers to keys), ask yourself the following: Does this sentence stand on its own? If they do not, pause to complete your thought before advancing.
