Yoong Liat  +  807931 Sun, 05 Jul 09 11:13 PM I'm more concerned with fragments, not meaningless sentence.  To me, "I am" without context is not a meaningless sentence. It is a fragment. Yoong Liat Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006 Veteran Member 6,757 Sentences, Context

	Avangi  +  807954 Sun, 05 Jul 09 11:31 PM 1. I did. 2. a. Who knocked?     b. I did. How do I explain to the original poster that 2. b. is a sentence, but 1. is not? Avangi Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007 Veteran Member 8,180 ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier Sentences

	Yoong Liat  +  808029 Mon, 06 Jul 09 01:12 AM Avangi “1. I did. 2. a. Who knocked?     b. I did. How do I explain to the original poster that 2. b. is a sentence, but 1. is not? ” 1.  I did is meaningless without context.  2. a. Who knocked?      b. I did.. (I did answers the question Who knocked? Who knocked?  constiitutes the context.) I am  is meaningless. I am what I am is a sentence. Yoong Liat Sentences, Context

	Avangi  +  808134 Mon, 06 Jul 09 03:02 AM Perhaps I worry too much about definitions.  The original poster wanted to know if his examples were sentences or phrases.  My understanding is that any group of words is a phrase.  Well, I guess that get's qualified by "which go together," which seems a bit loose. I think that all sentences are phrases, but not all phrases are sentences.  I don't know much about fragments.  I suppose they too are phrases.  I don't know if the words in a fragment have to go together. I suppose both fragments and phrases could be qualified as potential parts of grammatical sentences.  Of course sentences which are grammatical may not make sense, so we'd say they're not idiomatic. I believe you're saying that there's no such thing as a sentence which doesn't make sense.  The reason for this is that by definition, a sentence must make sense. So by your definition, we should stop saying, "Your sentence is grammatical, but it's incorrect because it's not idiomatic."  Avangi Sentences

	AlpheccaStars  +  808165 Mon, 06 Jul 09 03:36 AM I agree with Avangi.  I am. He is. We are. She did.  etc.  are sentences. The context and word count is not relevant to the grammatical definition of a sentence. If a group of words is a sentence in one context, it is a sentence in all contexts. This is a sentence, too: Eat! This is a fragment: If I go to the supermarket in my car with my brother and your sister on Saturday afternoon. Cheers, A-s AlpheccaStars Joined on Sun, Oct 12 2008 Senior Member 3,508 The pen is mightier than the sword. Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) Sentences, Context

	Avangi  +  808356 Mon, 06 Jul 09 06:38 AM Thanks, A's.  Avangi

	Soka  +  809046 Mon, 06 Jul 09 05:01 PM According to the Ofxord Dictionary & Thesaurus (2007 edition), a  sentence is a gramatically complete series of words with (implied ) subject and predicate, and expresses a complete thought .   Now if I say this : 'I am'. ; does this express a complete thought ? If yes, then could you please explain that 'complete thought' to me ?             Soka Joined on Mon, Dec 10 2007 Full Member 186 The Lord prefers common-looking people.That is why he makes so many of them. Predicates, Sentences

	Avangi  +  809111 Mon, 06 Jul 09 05:58 PM I exist. It's not a lot different from, "I am I, Don Quixote." "Don Quixote" is an appositive, which means it can be eliminiated without changing the essential meaning of the sentence. Therefore, "I am I," is a sentence. Cogito, ergo sum.  Here too, you can eliminate either one of the independent clauses. "I think," is a sentence.  "I am" is a sentence. If "I think, therefore I am," is a sentence, so is "I think, and I am." It's a little more difficult to justify "I do" on these grounds, but still possible. Clearly, "to be" means "to exist," apart from it's use in expressions like "I am dumb." But does "do" have a meaning in its own right? Consider the adage, "Those who can't do, teach." So I may say, "I can do." Therefore, I can say, "I do." Avangi Clauses, Writing, Sentences, Expressions

	AlpheccaStars  +  809144 Mon, 06 Jul 09 06:36 PM Avangi “Therefore, I can say, "I do."” Do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife? I don't know of anyone who would debate that the answer does not express a complete thought! Cheers, A-s AlpheccaStars Marriage, Relationships, Sentences