Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences

A complete simple sentence has a least one subject and one verb and it needs to make sense.

(This is your subject and predicate. Or your "Who" and your "What")

Ex. No Subject: Ran five miles.

Complete: Louis ran five miles.

Ex. No verb: The book on the table.

Complete: The book on the table is missing a page.

Any sentence you write will need your subject and your predicate. This fact will never change. If you write a sentence and read it back to yourself and it doesn't make sense, ask yourself this: Do I have the "Who"? Do I have the "What"? Does it make sense in the way its written?

A complete sentence must express a complete thought. The reader should not be left with questions.

A complete sentence should have correct end punctuation. A statement should end with a period, and so should a command. A question should end with a questions mark. An exclamation should end with an exclamation point.

Statement: Elaine has lost several files this way.

Command: Turn off the computer.

Question: Will the computer ever be fixed?

Exclamation: What a mess we're in!