Is "No" a Complete Sentence? Maybe.

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I rarely read self-help books. Even so, I’ve heard the phrase “no is a complete sentence,” which is meant to encourage turning down impossible tasks. All very well and good – but is it true? Is “no” really a complete sentence? The answer depends on how you define a sentence, which is actually pretty hard to do. Some say that a sentence must contain a subject and predicate – that’s usually a noun and a verb, like “I walked.” Others say that most sentences contain this, but that it’s not a requirement. And by “others” in this case, I mean trustworthy sources like Oxford Languages, Collins English Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster. So: Is no a complete sentence? The best answer we can give is: Maybe. But it depends on who you ask. That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.