Sentence

Sentence is a term covering linguistic expressions that convey a complete meaning and are grammatically complete. In written form, such expressions are marked by punctuation reflecting their pragmatic function. This article first gives a short history of the English term, and provides a general classification underlining the conceptual boundaries and also overlaps with the term clause. We briefly recall the terminological situation in other European languages and give a classification of the sentence types according to given parameters and the contained clauses. We then discuss the major stylistic functions of sentence fragmentation in literary texts. Finally, we present the difference in its different technical nuances and uses of concurring terms depending on the specific subdisciplines.