Phrase: an expression (can be a single word, but usually more) which contains a single thought but is not necessarily a complete sentence. Words make up phrases; phrases make up sentences. By some definitions, a phrase cannot contain a verb.

Prepositional Phrase: A phrase beginning with a preposition. Heh, heh. You could have figured that out, right? Example:

I am sitting in the bushes.

"I am sitting" is a complete sentence unto itself; it contains a subject ("I") and a verb ("am sitting"). The phrase "in the bushes" is a prepositional phrase ("in" being the preposition) that expands upon the basic concept.

Sentence: the basic unit of writing. A sentence should have a subject and a predicate. The subject is the noun to which the sentence's verb refers; the predicate is the verb plus whatever other parts modify or elaborate on it. Example:

My mother sings.

"My" is a possessive pronoun; "mother" is the subject (noun); "sings" is the verb.

There are several types of sentences. The major ones are:

• Declarative: The majority of sentences are declarative. A declarative sentence makes a statement. This sentence is declarative, as are the previous two.
• Interrogatory: An interrogatory sentence asks a question. Do you understand that? Which of these sentences is an example?
• Imperative: An imperative sentence gives a command. Ex: "Shut up and kiss me." Note that an imperative sentence does not require a subject; the pronoun "you" is implied.
• Run-on-sentence: A sentence that is too long and should be broken into two or more sentences. One sentence should present one basic concept; if it presents more than that, it may be a run-on. A large number of "and"s, "but"s, and similar joining words is one warning sign of a run-on.

Sentence Fragment: A phrase that is acting like a sentence but is incomplete. Examples:

My favorite color.

This is not a sentence because it contains no verb.

Walking very slowly.

This is not a sentence because it contains no noun.

On the table.

This is not a sentence because it contains neither a verb nor a subject.

Sentence fragments are acceptable as answers to direct questions

"Where is my sword?"

"In the bushes."