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Original poster

Can someonetell me if this is a sentence

14 replies

poptot · 09/05/2007 20:19

Proofreading an information leaflet yeaterday and had a disagreement with a colleague over this.She said that this constitutes a sentence which i don't believe it does as I always believed a sentence had to be stand alone.
Inform the nurse on the day of admission. Now I don't think this is a sentence as you are not saying what you should inform the nurse about. been bugging me all day.

OP posts:

CuriousSquid · 09/05/2007 20:20

inform the nurse of what? and why?

Does it run in context with what is written before it?

berolina · 09/05/2007 20:21

It is a sentence - provided a previous one makes the context (what to inform the nurse of) clear.

MerryMarigold · 09/05/2007 20:21

if you are informing her that you've been admitted then i think it is ok.

PanicPants · 09/05/2007 20:23

Well it has the verb in, so I guess it must be a sentence as long as the sentences before and after put it into context.

LIZS · 09/05/2007 20:23

It is a sentence as the verb is imperative but it isn't a particularly good one as it lacks context !

Original poster

poptot · 09/05/2007 20:24

it does run in context but I wanted to run the two sentences together as I felt it made more sense. It's not informing the nurse yuo've been admitted. The previous sentence talks about a problem that may have occured. I'm just confused because I don't think it stands alone as a sentence.

OP posts:

LIZS · 09/05/2007 20:28

It would probably read better if they were together.

Judy1234 · 09/05/2007 20:30

It's a sentence because it has a subject object and verb.

However you have to inform someone of something - one of those verbs - is it transitive or intransitive so that it's wrong because it does not say what you inform her of.

SO it's a sentence but it's wrong as you have to say what you inform someone of.

berolina · 09/05/2007 20:30

I see, sort of 'Problem X may have occurred in Y situation; inform the nurse [of this] on the day of admission.' In that case, it probably is best to run the sentences together.

edam · 09/05/2007 20:31

It's not strictly speaking a proper sentence but it's OK if a bit brusque. Like CS, I'm assuming sentences before explain what it is you need to tell the nurse.

Judy1234 · 09/05/2007 20:38

Yes, ber you need the "of this". It's one of those types of verbs that must have that part added. It's like saying. I give you. You can't say that. You have to say the thing you give. I give you the ball.

slimmerjim · 09/05/2007 23:07

I think it's a sentence.

Subject (="you" [understood])
Object (=nurse)
Verb (imperative/command form of inform) [of xxx understood]

But hey what do I know with my state school background.

Jackaroo · 10/05/2007 09:24

I would be unhappy to let something like that go - Berolina's right, this is the joy of hte semi-colon!! Just put them together
Sorry, you've probably all got past this one now

Judy1234 · 10/05/2007 16:46

sj, yes it's a sentence for exactly the reasons you gave. It's not grammatically accurate as it has to have a word with inform - you have to say what you are informing of so it needs to be corrected - no one would be allowed to write a sentence like that at school or any place I ever worked.

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