Which of the following is a complete sentence?

Which of the following is a complete sentence?

• A. Caitlin is taller than I.
• B. Because she slept late.
• C. The book is on the table.
• D. Caitlin ran quickly.

Answer: (A)

A complete sentence contains a subject and a finite verb and expresses a full idea. In Caitlin is taller than I, Caitlin is the subject and is the finite verb. The phrase taller than I works as a predicate complement that completes the thought by comparing Caitlin’s height to mine. The main clause stands on its own and conveys a full statement, even though the implied verb in the comparison is not repeated. In formal writing you’d often see Caitlin is taller than I am, but the sentence as written still communicates a complete idea.

A complete sentence contains a subject and a finite verb and expresses a full idea. In Caitlin is taller than I, Caitlin is the subject and is the finite verb. The phrase taller than I works as a predicate complement that completes the thought by comparing Caitlin’s height to mine. The main clause stands on its own and conveys a full statement, even though the implied verb in the comparison is not repeated. In formal writing you’d often see Caitlin is taller than I am, but the sentence as written still communicates a complete idea.