Use Slot In A Short Sentence
- Use Slot In A Short Sentence Sentences
- Use Slot In A Short Sentence Starters
- Use Slot In A Short Sentence Dictionary
Most people chose this as the best definition of slot: A gap between a main. See the dictionary meaning, pronunciation, and sentence examples.
- Free online sentence completion exercises. These online exercises involve selecting the best word or pair of words from a list to complete the sentence. Students will learn English grammar and improve their vocabulary with these free online sentence completion exercises.
- Sentence Pattern Four: Subject–Verb–Direct Object–Object Complement (S-V-DO-OC) The next sentence pattern includes an object complement. In this pattern, the direct object is followed by a group of words that completes the object’s meaning by renaming or describing it. In the following examples.
This term collection covers how to refer to keyboard shortcuts and the names of specific keys.
For information about describing customers' interactions with UI, see Procedures and instructions.
Keyboard actions and access
| Term | Usage |
|---|---|
| keyboard shortcut, accelerator key, fast key, hot key, quick key, speed key | In general, use keyboard shortcut to describe a combination of keystrokes used to perform a task. Example Alt+Ctrl+S Don't use accelerator key, fast key, hot key, quick key, or speed key. |
| access key | Don't use in content for a general audience. Use keyboard shortcut instead. In content for developers or content about customizing the UI, it's OK to distinguish between an access key and a shortcut key. An access key is a letter or number that users select to access UI controls that have text labels. For example, the F in Alt+F. A shortcut key is a key or key combination that users select to perform a common action. For example, Ctrl+V. If you use these terms, explain the difference. |
| Key Tip | In general, don't use in content for a general audience. Use keyboard shortcut instead. In content teaching basic skills or content for a technical audience, it's OK to use Key Tip to refer to the letter or number that appears in the ribbon when the Alt key is pressed. |
| key combination | Don't use in content for a general audience. Use keyboard shortcut instead. In content for a technical audience, it's OK to distinguish between a key combination (two or more keys selected simultaneously) and a key sequence (two or more keys selected sequentially). If you use these terms, explain the difference. |
| key sequence | Don't use in content for a general audience. Use keyboard shortcut instead. In content for a technical audience, it's OK to distinguish between a key sequence (two or more keys selected sequentially) and a key combination (two or more keys selected simultaneously). If you use these terms, explain the difference. |
| keypad | Use numeric keypad on the first mention. Don't use keypad by itself unless the context has been established and there's no possibility the customer will confuse the keypad with the keyboard. When in doubt, continue to use numeric keypad. In general, don't distinguish between the keyboard and the numeric keypad. When the customer can select two keys that look the same, direct the customer to the correct key. Example Select the Minus sign on the numeric keypad, not the Hyphen key on the keyboard. |
| keystroke, keypress | Don't use keypress. Use keystroke instead. |
| select, press, depress, hit, strike, use | Use select to describe pressing a key on a physical or on-screen keyboard. Don't use press, depress, hit, or strike. Don't use depressed to describe an indented toolbar button unless you have no other choice. Use use when select might be confusing, such as when referring to the arrow keys or function keys and select might make customers think that they need to select all the arrow keys simultaneously. Example Use the arrow keys to move around the text. Use use when multiple platform or peripheral choices initiate the same action or actions within a program. Example Use the controls on your keyboard or controller to run through the obstacle course. Be specific when teaching beginning skills. Example To run through the obstacle course, select the Spacebar on the keyboard or pull the right trigger on the Xbox controller. Consider using a table to present instructions that have more than two alternatives. Use select and hold only if a delay is built into the software or hardware interaction. Don't use select and hold when referring to a mouse button unless you're teaching beginning skills. See alsoDescribing interactions with UI, Mouse and mouse interaction term collection |
| shortcut key | Don't use in content for a general audience. Use keyboard shortcut instead. In content for developers or content about customizing the UI, it's OK to distinguish between an access key and a shortcut key. An access key is a letter or number that users select to access UI controls that have text labels. For example, the F in Alt+F. A shortcut key is a key or key combination that users select to perform a common action. For example, Ctrl+V. If you use these terms, explain the difference. |
Key names
In general, use sentence capitalization for key names.
Examples
the Shift key
the Page up keyCapitalize letter keys in general references.
Example
the K keyLowercase and bold a letter key when instructing customers to enter the letter (unless you're instructing them to enter a capital letter).
Example
enter kOn the first mention, you can use the definite article the and the word key with the key name if necessary for clarity.
Example
Select the F1 key.On subsequent mentions, refer to the key by its name only.
Example
Select F1.
Ifyou need guidance for a key name that isn't on this list, use sentencecapitalization and spell it as it appears on the keyboard.
| Term | Usage |
|---|---|
| Alt | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Alt key. |
| Application key | Capitalize. Use the Application key to refer to the key that opens a shortcut menu containing commands related to a selection. |
| arrow keys, direction keys, directional keys, movement keys | Arrow keys are labeled only with an arrow. Refer to similar keys on the numeric keypad as the arrow keys on the numeric keypad. Use sentence capitalization to refer to a specific arrow key: the Left arrow key, the Right arrow key, the Up arrow key, or the Down arrow key. It’s OK to use arrow key as a general term for any single arrow key. Include the and key in references to a specific arrow key except in key combinations or key sequences. Don’t use direction keys, directional keys, or movement keys. Use specific names to refer to other navigational keys, such as Page up, Page down, Home, and End. |
| asterisk (*), star | Use asterisk to refer to the * symbol. An asterisk is used to indicate multiplication in a programming language or as a wildcard character representing one or more characters. It’s OK to use star to refer to the key on a phone keypad. |
| at sign (@) | Pronounced at. In most cases, don’t spell out. |
| Back | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Back key, which performs the same action as the Back button in a browser. |
| Backspace | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Backspace key. |
| backtab | Don’t use to refer to the Shift+Tab keyboard shortcut. |
| Break caps | Use sentence capitalization. Use to refer to the Break caps key. |
| Caps lock | Use sentence capitalization. Use to refer to the Caps lock key. |
| comma (,) | Spell out comma when referring to a key or the punctuation mark. Capitalize Comma when instructing a reader to select the key. Include the symbol in parentheses when needed for clarity. |
| Command | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Command key on the Mac keyboard. Use the bitmap to show this key if possible. It isn't named on the keyboard. |
| Control | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Control key on the Mac keyboard. |
| Ctrl | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Ctrl key. Don’t use for the Mac keyboard. |
| Del | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Del key. On the Mac keyboard only, use to refer to the forward delete key. |
| Delete | Capitalize. Use to refer to the back delete key on the Mac keyboard. |
| End | Capitalize. Use to refer to the End key. |
| Enter | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Enter key. On the Mac, use only when functionality requires it. |
| Esc | Always use Esc, not Escape. |
| F1–F12 | Capitalize the F. Don't add a space between the F and the number. |
| Forward | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Forward key, which performs the same action as the Forward button in a browser. |
| Help | Use the Help key only to refer to the key on the Mac keyboard. |
| HELP key | Use the HELP key to avoid confusion with the Help button. Always include the and key. |
| Home | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Home key. |
| hyphen (-) | Spell out hyphen when referring to a key. Capitalize Hyphen when instructing a reader to select the key. Include the symbol in parentheses when needed for clarity. |
| Insert | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Insert key. |
| Lock clear | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Lock clear key. |
| minus sign (–) | Spell out minus sign when referring to a key. Use sentence capitalization (Minus sign) when instructing a reader to select the key. Include the symbol in parentheses when needed for clarity. |
| Num lock option | Use sentence capitalization. Use to refer to the Num lock option key on the Mac keyboard. |
| number sign (#), pound key, hashtag | Use # key to describe the key. It's OK to use pound key (#), including the symbol in parentheses, to refer to the keypad on a telephone. It's OK to use hashtag (#) to describe the use of the # key to identify a metadata term in social media. |
| numeric keypad, keypad, numerical keypad, numeric keyboard | Use numeric keypad on first mention. Don't use keypad by itself unless there's no possibility of confusion with the keyboard. Don't use numerical keypad or numeric keyboard. In general, don't distinguish between the keyboard and the numeric keypad. If a customer can select two keys that look the same, specify the correct key. Example Select the Minus sign on the numeric keypad. |
| on-screen keyboard, keyboard display, soft keyboard, virtual keyboard, visual keyboard | Use to describe the keyboard representation on the screen that the customer touches to enter characters. Hyphenate on-screen keyboard. Don't use virtual keyboard, soft keyboard, visual keyboard, or keyboard display. |
| Page down, Page up | Use sentence capitalization. Use to refer to the Page up key and the Page down key. |
| Pause | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Pause key. |
| period (.) | Spell out period when referring to a key. Capitalize Period when instructing a reader to select the key. Include the symbol in parentheses when needed for clarity. |
| plus sign (+) | Spell out plus sign when referring to a key. Use sentence capitalization (Plus sign) when instructing a reader to select the key. Include the symbol in parentheses when needed for clarity. |
| Print screen | Use sentence capitalization. Use to refer to the Print screen key. |
| Reset | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Reset key. |
| Return | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Return key on the Mac keyboard. |
| Scroll lock | Use sentence capitalization. Use to refer to the Scroll lock key. |
| Select | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Select key. |
| Shift | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Shift key. |
| Spacebar | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Spacebar. Always precede with the except in procedures, key combinations, and key sequences. |
| Tab | Capitalize. Use to refer to the Tab key. Always use the and key except in key combinations and key sequences. |
| Windows logo key | Capitalize Windows. Use to refer to the Windows logo key. |
Special character names
Becausespecial character names could be confused with an action (such as+) or be difficult to see, always spell out the following specialcharacter names: Plus sign, Minus sign, Hyphen, Period, and Comma.
To avoid confusion, it's OK to add the character in parentheses after spelling out the name.
Example
Plus sign (+)
Use discretion. This might not be necessary for commonly used characters, such as the period (.).
To show a key combination that includes punctuation requiring use of the Shift key, such as the question mark, use Shift and the name or symbol of the shifted key. Using the name of the unshifted key, such as 4 rather than $, could be confusing or even wrong. For example, the ? and / characters aren't shifted keys on every keyboard. Always spell out Plus sign, Minus sign, Hyphen, Period, and Comma.
Examples
Ctrl+Shift+?
Ctrl+Shift+*
Ctrl+Shift+Comma
See alsoSpecial character term collection
1. What is a Sentence?
A sentence is a group of words put together in a complete, meaningful way. It expresses a thought, statement, question, wish, command, suggestion, or idea. We use sentences every day when we’re writing and speaking. What’s more, a sentence combines words in a grammatically correct way. There are lots things to understand and of rules to follow when making a sentence, from punctuation, to word order, to making sure you have all of the right parts. This article will cover everything you need to know about strong sentences!
2. Everyday Examples of Sentences
Sentences serve all kinds of purposes and share all kinds of information. They are the main form we use to communicate through writing and speaking, so we use them every day, like in the examples below.
Some sentences share information, like something that happened during the day:
My mom cooked pancakes for breakfast.
A sentence may express an opinion or desire, like something you like or dislike:
I love syrup on my pancakes.
It may share a general fact:
Syrup comes from maple trees.
Or, it might ask a question:
Do you like syrup on your pancakes?
3. Main Parts of a Sentence
All complete sentences have a subjectand a predicate. When a subject and a predicate are together, they make a clause. So, since all sentences have a subject and a predicate, all sentences have a clause.
a. Subject
A subject is the main thing a sentence is about. In a sentence, all verbs need a subject; it’s the person or thing that is doing something.
b. Simple Subject
A simple subject is the main word that tells what a sentence is about:
The big dog went to the county fair.
c. Compound Subject
When two or more subjects in a sentence use the same verb, it makes a compound subject:
The big dog and the small cat went to the county fair.
d. Complete Subject
A complete subject includes all of the words that tell what a sentence is about:
The big dog and the small cat went to the county fair.
e. Predicate
A predicate tells what the subject does, and always needs a verb. Often the predicate is just a verb.
f. Simple predicate
The simple predicate is the sentence’s main verb or verb phrase, and nothing else.
The dog went to the county fair.
The simple predicate is “went,” which is the verb that says what the dog is doing.
g. Compound Predicate
A compound predicate includes two or more verbs that have the same subject and are connected by a conjunction, like “and.” It can include words besides the verbs, but doesn’t include the conjunction.
The dog went to the county fair, and then ate popcorn.
Here, the compound predicate is went to the county fair and then ate popcorn. Compound predicates are important because they keep us from writing short, boring sentences. For example:
The dog went to the county fair. Then he ate popcorn.
Vs.
The dog went to the county fair, and then he ate popcorn.
The second example using the compound predicate is a much stronger sentence.
h. Complete Predicate
A complete predicate includes all of the verbs and other details about it in the sentence:
The dog went to the county fair.
The complete predicate of the sentence is underlined. As you see, it includes not only the verb “went,” but “to the county fair” as well, because those words all tell about what is happening in the sentence.
i. Clause
A clause is a set of words containing a subject and a predicate. An easy way to remember this is
“clause = subject + predicate.”
j. Independent Clause
An independent clause can exist as a sentence on its own.
The dog ran.
k. Dependent Clause
A dependent clause has a subject and a predicate but can’t exist as a sentence on its own:
The dog smelled popcorn, which was popping at the county fair.
In the second part of the sentence, there is a subject (county fair) and a predicate (popping), but the words don’t give enough information to be a complete sentence. It only gives extra information—we need to know that “Sparky smelled popcorn” to understand “popping at the county fair.” Alone, a dependent clause makes a fragment sentence (see VII). “Which was popping at the county fair” is a fragment sentence.
4. Sentence Structures
A sentence’s “structure” is the main form it should follow in order for it to make sense and express the right idea. When it comes to making sure your sentence is clear and complete, having the right sentence structure is very important.
a. Simple Sentence
A simple sentence has only one subject and one predicate—in other words, only one clause. Here are three simple sentences:
- The dog ran.
- He ran all the way to the county fair.
- He ate hot popcorn.
b. Compound Sentence
A compound sentence has more than one subject or predicate. It uses a conjunction like “and” to combine two or more complete sentences into one compound sentence. A conjunction, like the word “and” connects words, phrases and clauses. For example, you can combine the three sentences above to make one compound sentence:
The dog ran all the way to the county fair, and then he ate some popcorn.
This is a compound sentence because it has one subject, “dog,” but two predicates, “ran” and “ate.”
c. Complex sentence
A complex sentence has at least one independent clause and one dependent clause.
The dog smelled popcorn, which was popping at the county fair.
“The dog smelled popcorn” is an independent clause; “which was popping at the county fair” is a dependent clause.
d. Compound-complex sentence
A compound-complex sentence has two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause—so, it combines two complete sentences and one incomplete sentence. Here is an example:
The dog smelled popcorn (independent clause)
+
which was popping at the county fair (dependent clause)
+
so (conjunction)
Use Slot In A Short Sentence Sentences
+
he ran all the way there (independent clause)
=
The dog smelled popcorn, which was popping at the county fair, so, he ran all the way there.
Use Slot In A Short Sentence Starters
The result of combining the three clauses and the conjunction is a compound-complex sentence.
5. How to Write a Sentence
Aside from having the parts listed earlier, two things are very important for writing sentences: word order and punctuation.
a. Word order
Word order is important: it’s what makes your sentences make sense. The most common word order is subject + verb + object.
For example:
The fox (subject) + eats (verb) + pancakes (object).
When writing a sentence, make sure the verb comes after the subject, and the object comes after the verb. Otherwise, it won’t make sense, like here:
Eats pancakes the fox. (verb + object + subject)
Pancakes the fox eats. (object + subject + verb)
b. Punctuation
In a sentence, punctuation can be as important as the words you use! Using the wrong marks at the wrong time can make a sentence confusing or even change its meaning. Here are a few key ways we use punctuation:
- Use a period (.) to end a normal sentence.
- Use a question mark (?) at the end of all sentences that ask a question.
- Use an exclamation mark (!) at the end of a sentence that expresses strong emotions.
- Use a comma (,) to show a pause in the sentence, to make lists, or to separate thoughts. We use commas very often in sentences.
- Use quotation marks (“”) to quote a person or source (like a newspaper), or to show character dialogue.
6. Common Mistakes with Sentences
There are a lot of rules to remember about sentences, so sometimes it’s easy to make a mistake. Along from knowing your grammar rules and sentences structures, it’s important to include the right amount of information in a sentence. If you include too much or too little, it can lead to two very common types of problem sentences: run-on sentences and fragment sentences. Being able to recognize them can help you avoid them in your own writing.
a. Run-on Sentence
In simple terms, a run-on sentence is a sentence that is too long. Sometimes a writer doesn’t use the right punctuation, so the sentence seems like it “runs on” for too long. For example:
The fox really liked pancakes and he ate them every day for breakfast but he couldn’t eat them without syrup and butter.
But, with the right punctuation, this can be a normal compound sentence:
The fox really liked pancakes: he ate them every day for breakfast; but he couldn’t eat them without syrup and butter!
Run-on sentences also happen when you try to put too many ideas into one sentence, like this:
Use Slot In A Short Sentence Dictionary
The fox was great at hiding, and no human had ever seen him, also he really liked pancakes, and he ate them every day for breakfast, but he couldn’t eat them without syrup and butter.
We can break up to run-on sentence by separating the main ideas and putting them into their own sentences. There are two main ideas here: the fox was great at hiding, and he liked pancakes. Knowing that, here are two new sentences:
The fox was great at hiding: no human had ever seen him. He also really liked pancakes: he ate them every day for breakfast; but he couldn’t eat them without syrup and butter!
As you can see, the new sentences are much easier to read and make more sense.
b. Fragment (incomplete) Sentence
A fragment is a small piece of something. So, a fragment sentence is just a piece of a sentence: it is incomplete because it is missing a subject, a predicate, or another necessary word.
This fragment sentence is missing an object:
The fox ate for breakfast.
We need an object, like “pancakes,” to complete this sentence.
This fragment sentence is missing a predicate:
He couldn’t without syrup and butter.
It needs a verb, like “eat,” and an object, like “pancakes,” to complete it.
Finally, this sentence doesn’t have a subject:
Ate breakfast.
It needs a subject, like “the fox,” to make it a complete sentence.