Understanding the Four Sentence Types

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify and create simple sentences.
  • Identify and create compound sentences.
  • Identify and create complex sentences.
  • Identify and create compound-complex sentences.

LESSON
SentencesA group of words, phrases, or clauses that expresses a complete thought. A complete sentence has these characteristics: a capitalized first word, a subject and a predicate, and end punctuation, such as a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation mark (!). fall into one of four categories: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. The type of sentence that is most appropriate depends on the writer's purposeThe reason the writer is writing about a topic. It is what the writer wants the reader to know, feel, or do after reading the work. or focus. Good writing generally uses a variety of all four sentences to provide more detail and prevent readers from growing tired of one sentence pattern.

Simple Sentences

A simple sentenceOne of the four sentence types that contains a subject and a predicate. Example: The girl went for a walk. The subject is the girl. The predicate is went for a walk. consists of a subjectIn grammar, a part of speech that refers to the “doer” in the sentence (who or what). A subject is usually a person, place or thing. and a predicatePart of a sentence or a clause that has a verb and any modifiers or objects. Example: The girl went for a walk. The subject is the girl. The predicate is went for a walk.. It is also called an independent clausePart of a sentence that contains a subject and a predicate and can stand on its own as a complete sentence. Example independent clause: The boy ate the freshly picked apple with delight. The subject is the boy, the predicate is the verb ate, plus the modifiers the freshly picked apple with delight.. To qualify as a sentence, it must express a complete thought. If it does not, it is a sentence fragmentA grammatical error that occurs when a sentence is missing either a subject or a predicate, making it incomplete..

Simple sentence examples:

Compound Sentences

Compound sentencesOne of the four sentence types that is composed of two or more independent clauses joined together using proper punctuation. are two or more independent clauses, also known as simple sentences, correctly joined by using one of three methods. First, you can join them with a comma(,) A punctuation mark used to group and separate information in sentences. and coordinating conjunctionPart of speech that connects words, phrases, and independent clauses. The acronym FANBOYS—for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so—can help you remember coordinating conjunctions., also known by the acronym FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

Compound sentence examples:

Another way to create a compound sentence is to join the two independent clauses with a semicolon(;) A punctuation mark used to connect major parts of sentences of equal grammatical rank. For example, semicolons are used to connect two independent clauses into one sentence.. You can use a semicolon wherever you might use a period, but without capitalizing the first letter in the second independent clause.

Example:

You can also make compound sentences by joining independent clauses together with a semicolon, conjunctive adverbA type of parenthetical expression; adverbs that join ideas together. Examples: also, first, however, next., and a comma. The words as a result, consequently, however, moreover, and therefore are all examples of conjunctive adverbs.

Example:

Complex Sentences

A complex sentenceOne of the four sentence types that is composed of an independent clause and a dependent clause. consists of an independent clause and a dependent clausePart of a sentence that contains a subject and a verb but is unable to stand on its own because it is incomplete in some way. Example of a dependent clause: Because it was a freshly picked apple, the boy ate it with delight. In this sentence, Because it was a freshly picked apple is a dependent clause. It has a subject (it) and a verb (was), but it cannot stand on its own without the second part of the sentence. joined together. While a dependent clause has a nounA part of speech that refers to a person, place, or thing. Examples include: swimmer, lake, sunscreen. and a verbA part of speech that refers to what is happening, the action, what the subject is doing, or how it is “being.” Examples include: sleep, to be, think. like an independent clause, it does not express a complete thought. There are two types of dependent clauses: subordinating and relative.

A subordinating clauseA type of dependent clause that begins with a subordinating conjunction. Example: After the game. The subject: the game, is modified by the subordinating conjunction: After. begins with a subordinating conjunctionPart of speech that connects dependent clauses. A subordinating conjunction comes at the beginning of a dependent clause and shows the relationship between the clauses it connects. Examples of subordinating conjunctions include: after, if, while, unless. and then contains a subject and a predicate.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions

after

even though

until

although

if

when

as

in order that

whenever

as if

just as

where

as long as

now that

whereas

as much as

provided that

wherever

as soon as

since

whether

as though

so that

which

because

than

while

before

that

who

even

though

whoever

even if

unless

why

Complex sentence examples:

A relative clauseA type of dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun. A relative clause modifies the words or phrases in the main clause. Example: This is the boy who always finishes his homework on time. The subject: the boy, is modified by the relative clause: who always finishes his homework on time. contains a relative pronounA word that replaces a noun that it relates to; it also introduces a relative clause. Examples: what, who, whom, whose, whoever, whomever, and which. and a predicate. Relative pronouns include that, what, which, who, whoever, whom, whomever, and whose.

Examples:

Compound-complex Sentences

In a compound-complex sentenceOne of the four sentence types in which one or both of the independent clauses has a subordinating clause, relative clause, or both., one or both of the independent clauses has a subordinating clause, relative clause, or both.

Compound-complex sentence examples:

+ PRACTICAL APPLICATION+ EXAMPLE+ YOUR TURN+ METACOGNITIVE QUESTIONS