Which of the following elements is required for a complete sentence?

A complete sentence is defined by its ability to convey a complete thought, and this is achieved through the presence of both a subject and a verb. The subject identifies who or what the sentence is about, while the verb expresses the action or state of being of the subject. Together, they form the core of any sentence structure.

For instance, in the sentence "The dog barks," "The dog" serves as the subject, and "barks" is the verb. This combination clearly communicates a complete idea.

While punctuation marks are important for sentence structure and clarity, they do not affect the core grammatical requirement for a sentence to be complete. Adjectives can enhance a sentence by providing more detail but are not necessary for its grammatical integrity. A dependent clause, on the other hand, cannot stand alone as a complete thought and thus does not satisfy the criteria for a complete sentence on its own.