incomplete sentence

English

Noun

incomplete sentence (plural incomplete sentences)

1. (grammar) A group of words which appears to convey only part of a complete thought, lacking some component which is grammatically necessary to complete the thought.

Translations

a group of words which appears to convey only part of a complete thought (grammar)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不完整的句子 (cmn) (bù wánzhěng de jùzi)

• Finnish: epätäydellinen lause (fi)
• French: phrase incomplète (fr) f

• German: unvollständiger Satz (de) m
• Japanese: 不完全な文章 (ja) (ふかんぜんなぶんしょう, fukanzen na bunshō)
• Russian: неполное предложение (ru) (nepólnoje predložénije) n 

Usage notes

A sentence can be very long but still be an incomplete sentence if it lacks an element necessary to complete a thought. By contrast, a very short sentence can be a complete sentence if the missing elements are provided by context: Are you going to the beach today? I am.