Does a sentence have to have a verb?

[The Last Conformist]

A sentence without a verb is by definition an incomplete sentence

No it isn't.

 

[nonconformist]

Yes it is.
That was a sentence.

 

[Ciceronian]

Yes, it needs a ver. Without a verb, it is technically a phrase, hence why "I am" is the shoprtest sentnce in the English Language, but "No" isn't.

"I am" is not a sentence, as the verb "to be" needs to be followed by an object or an adjective to form a complete sentence. So "I am a cat" or "I am dead" would be sentences. I think the shortest possible sentences would be "I run" or "I eat".

 

[CivCynic]

"I am" is not a sentence

"Am" is used meaning "exist."

I am. = I exist.

 

[Ciceronian]

I will definitely ask my English teacher about this tomorrow.

 

[u-gene]

Yes it is.
That was a sentence.

'Is' is a verb.

More sentences without verbs:
'Ready?'

'Where do you live?'
'In London.'

 

[Syterion]

Shortest sentence is : "Go." Imperative sentence, understood subject "you." Alternates include all verbs with two letters: "Ax." "Do." etc.

A Verb is all a sentence has to have.

EDIT: Of course "I am" is a sentence!

 

[Ciceronian]

'Is' is a verb.

More sentences without verbs:
'Ready?'

'Where do you live?'
'In London.'

Ready is a shortened form of "Are you ready?"
"In London." is not a sentence.

 

[Syterion]

'Is' is a verb.

More sentences without verbs:
'Ready?'

'Where do you live?'
'In London.'

Both are fragments or phrases. "Ready?" is slang and is considered to have an understood "Are you." It is not proper English.

"In London" is a prepositional phrase. Phrase as in not a sentence.

EDIT: Cross post.

 

[u-gene]

Ready is a shortened form of "Are you ready?"
"In London." is not a sentence.

Well, you can check textbooks if you want.

 

[u-gene]

Both are fragments or phrases. "Ready?" is slang and is considered to have an understood "Are you." It is not proper English.

"In London" is a prepositional phrase. Phrase as in not a sentence.

EDIT: Cross post.

Of course it's not a purist's language. But these are still sentences that comply with the criteria I mentioned before. By the way, "Oh!", "Wow!" etc. are called exclamatory sentences.

 

[IglooDame]

Twenty years in a maximum security prison.



See? No verb there.

 

[Syterion]

It's not a sentence, that's why.

 

[Knowze Gungk]

There is no constants in the english language.

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

Who cares. Fragments and bullet statements are the wave of the future in business writing.

 

[kmad]

The first two are exclamations, or phrases. The last is a sentence.

Actually, all three are sentence fragments - they're just subjects, there's no PREDICATE~

Grade 9 English serves me well

 

[CivCynic]

The only time people really ever do use proper English is in official/formal documents such as book reports, public notices, et cetera, with, of course, the exception of English teachers/professors - they seem to be compelled to use proper English all the time.

 

[IglooDame]

It's not a sentence, that's why.

Sure it is. It is a sentence you'll hear in courtrooms. In fact, they even call a certain part of the trial (if a guilty verdict is returned) the sentencing. How much more sentence-like can you get than hearing it at a sentencing?

 

[CivCynic]

It is a sentence you'll hear in courtrooms.

So?

*sighs* Must we even disagree on the rules of our language, Igloo?

 

[MSTK]

Sentence - a group of words that express a complete thought and form a statement, question, exclamation, or command. (The Oxford Dictionary of the English Language). So, "No", "Oh" etc. are quite legitimate sentences.

You just pwned everybody by pulling out the old Oxford.