We've all had those moments: you think you've managed to figure out how to make a sentence, but you're not sure if it sounds like an actual sentence. The easiest way to figure out if you're doing it right is to jump onto #english-questions. There's usually someone in there who can answer your questions. But, what should you do if nobody's is online, or you'd like to try to find the answer on your own?
Here's a couple of tips on how to figure out if your sentence makes sense.
Grammarly - First, you might want to see if the grammar of your sentence is correct. Grammarly is a free online tool that lets you enter a sentence, and get suggestions on improving the grammar of those sentences. It's not a 100% perfect tool, but it's a good place to get started.
Google - If you have your phrase or sentence constructed, you can see if it's a commonly used phrase or sentence if you will put that thing in between "quotation marks" and type it into a Google search.
Speak it - If you've figured out that the grammar of your sentence is fine, and that it doesn't seem wrong according to google, try saying the sentence out loud, to see if it sounds natural. Sometimes this step is enough to get the job done. Even as a beginner, if you've listened to enough spoken English, such as on news reports, TV, or movies, you'll start noticing patterns in how people form their sentences. Before asking if something sounds right, say it out loud, and listen to if it sounds right. You'd be surprised how good you will get at spotting issues!
If anyone else has any helpful hints, feel free to weigh in as well!