Is it a sentence?

What is this skill?

A sentence is a group of words that tells a whole idea: who or what, and what happens. "The dog runs." is a sentence. "Big red" is not, because it does not say what is big or red or what it does. Kindergartners start learning this difference early, because every piece of writing they will do is built from sentences.

In this practice a child sees a group of words on a card, and it is read aloud. The question is whether it is a whole sentence or "not yet." The sentences are short and clear: "I like apples." "Mom made soup." "Rex has big teeth." "Can you hop?" The piles of words are things like "under the bed," "ran fast and" and "a hat on." The hardest questions look like sentences but are not. "The big red dog." starts with a capital and ends with a period, and "After lunch." does too, yet neither one says what happens. That is the point to talk about.

Why it matters

A child who can hear when a thought is finished has the foundation for writing. Later grades ask children to fix fragments and run-ons, and that is easier for a child who has been listening for complete thoughts since kindergarten. A sentence that stops in the middle sounds unfinished, and training the ear to notice that is more important than any rule.

This skill also supports reading. Understanding that a sentence is a complete idea helps a child read with a sensible pause at the period instead of reading a string of unrelated words. It is a small idea that connects speaking, reading and writing.

Common mistakes

• Believing a capital letter and a period are what make a sentence. They are important, but they are not enough, as "After lunch." shows. Ask, "Did it tell me who or what, and what they did?"
• Saying a group of words is a sentence because it makes sense as a phrase, such as "the green frog." It names something, but nothing happens yet. Try adding the action: "The green frog hops."
• Missing that a question is a sentence. "Can you hop?" does not tell a fact, but it is a full thought with someone doing something.
• Guessing from length. "ran fast and" is three words and not a sentence, while "The sun is hot." is four and is. Length is a poor clue.

How to help at home

• Play "finish it." Say "the big dog," stop, and ask your child what the dog does. When they add "runs," say the whole thing back as a sentence.
• Take turns saying a sentence or a pile of words, and the other person calls "sentence" or "not yet." Switching roles shows your child you can be fooled too.
• Look at a picture book page and ask your child to say one whole sentence about the picture. Then point out which words said who and which said what happened.
• Keep the vocabulary friendly. "Not yet" is a kinder phrase than "wrong," and it fits: the group of words is usually one step from becoming a sentence.

Worked examples

These are real questions from the Tutorsaurus is it a sentence? practice, with the answers worked out.

1. Example 1

   Is this a whole sentence?

   The dog runs.

   Answer: Sentence. It tells who (the dog) and what he does (runs).

2. Example 2

   Sentence or not yet?

   the green frog

   Answer: Not yet. It names a frog but does not tell what the frog does.

3. Example 3

   Sentence or not yet?

   After lunch.

   Answer: Not yet. It tells when, but not who did anything or what happened.

Printable worksheet (PDF) — one page of questions from this practice that work on paper, easier ones first, with an answer key on page 2. Free to print, no sign-up.