Teaching Complete Sentences: Subject and Predicate Tips and Anchor Charts
When you’re teaching writing, one of the most helpful things you can do is slow down and make sure your students understand what a complete sentence really is.
Not just “starts with a capital and ends with a period.”
Not just “a full thought.”
We’re talking about the real foundation:
A subject + a predicate = a complete sentence.
To help you get started, you can grab my free complete sentences anchor chart and subject and predicate anchor chart right here:
- Full Complete Sentences Chart
- Mini Complete Sentences Chart
- Fill Complete Sentences Chart
- Printable Pieces Complete Sentences Chart
These visuals are great to build with your class and refer back to all year—but the real power comes from the way you teach it.
What Is a Complete Sentence?
A complete sentence has two things:
- A subject – who or what the sentence is about
- A predicate – what that subject is doing or being
That’s it. If one of those parts is missing, it’s a fragment.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy for students to spot. Especially when you throw in compound subjects, linking verbs, or prepositional phrases.
Here’s how you could teach subject and predicate in a way that sticks:
1. Start With Movement
Before you throw up a grammar definition, start with something physical.
- Have one student stand up and act as the subject. The class names what the person is doing.
- Then swap it – say an action, and have someone act it out. Ask: Who’s doing that?
This makes it obvious that a complete sentence needs both parts: the doer (subject) and the action (predicate).
2. Use Silly Sentences
Once they get the idea, build out ridiculous examples:
- The llama (subject)…
- …danced on the principal’s car. (predicate)
Write subjects and predicates on sentence strips and let students mix and match to create wild combinations. It’s a fun way to show how both parts are needed.
You can have students yell out “WHO?” and “DID WHAT?” to get the hang of things.
Bonus: throw in a few fragments on purpose and let them spot the “incomplete” ones.
3. Try This Complete Sentences Chant
“Every sentence has two parts:
The who or what, that’s just the start!
Add what happens, and then you’re set,
That’s the predicate! Don’t forget!”
4. Break Out the Complete Sentences Anchor Charts
Once students are moving and talking about subject and predicate, this is when anchor charts can actually support your instruction. It’s helpful to have a version of these charts that students can reference all school year long (shout out to the Anchor Chart Club!).
These aren’t meant to teach for you – but they help reinforce what you’ve already modeled and practiced together.
5. Let Students Build Their Own
After you’ve modeled it, hand over the reins.
Give students sentence-building cards or sticky notes labeled “subject” and “predicate.” Let them create their own sentences, act them out, or swap pieces with a partner.
You can even do a hallway activity where one side has subjects, the other has the predicates. They pair up and read aloud.
6. Practice With Writing
Finally, connect this back to their own writing.
When revising a journal entry or paragraph, have students:
- Circle the subject in each sentence
- Underline the predicate
- Put a check if it’s complete, or fix it if it’s not
This helps students spot fragments and reinforces the idea that writing isn’t just about ideas, it’s also about sentence structure.
Want All the Anchor Charts in One Place?
If you’re tired of making your own visuals or printing last-minute references, the Anchor Chart Club gives you access to hundreds of printable anchor charts—sorted by grade, subject, and skill.
There’s a full grammar section with editable versions, matching student charts, and more for writing complete sentences.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. I already built it for you.
