What is a group that is not a complete sentence because it lacks a subject or a predicate?

What is a group that is not a complete sentence because it lacks a subject or a predicate?

• A. Phrase
• B. Clause
• C. Independent clause
• D. Simple sentence

Answer: (A)

Think about what a phrase is: a group of words that doesn't express a complete idea because it lacks a subject, a predicate, or both. That means it can’t stand alone as a sentence. A phrase fits this description because it doesn’t contain the full pairing of a subject with a verb that a sentence needs to express a complete thought. A clause, by contrast, contains a subject and a predicate; some clauses (independent clauses) can stand alone as sentences, while others (dependent clauses) cannot, but they still have subject and predicate. A simple sentence is basically one independent clause that forms a complete sentence. So the term that best describes a group of words lacking subject or predicate and thus not being a complete sentence is a phrase.

Think about what a phrase is: a group of words that doesn't express a complete idea because it lacks a subject, a predicate, or both. That means it can’t stand alone as a sentence. A phrase fits this description because it doesn’t contain the full pairing of a subject with a verb that a sentence needs to express a complete thought.

A clause, by contrast, contains a subject and a predicate; some clauses (independent clauses) can stand alone as sentences, while others (dependent clauses) cannot, but they still have subject and predicate. A simple sentence is basically one independent clause that forms a complete sentence. So the term that best describes a group of words lacking subject or predicate and thus not being a complete sentence is a phrase.