Sentence Types: Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb. It expresses a single complete thought that can stand on its own.
Examples:
- The baby cried for food.
- Professor Maple’s intelligent students completed and turned in their homework.
- Megan and Ron ate too much and felt sick.
Compound Sentences
A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. An independent clause is a part of a sentence that can stand alone because it contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. Basically, a compound sentence contains two simple sentences.
– These independent clauses are joined by a conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so = called fanboys).
Examples:
- The shoplifter had stolen clothes, so he ran once he saw the police.
- They spoke to him in Spanish, but he responded in English.
Compound sentences can also be separated by a semicolon (;)
Examples:
- She has an exam tomorrow; she is doing a lot of exercises.
Compound sentences can also be separated by a conjunctive adverb.
Examples:
- Teaching writing is time-consuming; consequently, some teachers avoid it.
Rules: In compound sentences, we join the two independent clauses by:
- A semicolon (;)
- A comma before FANBOYS
- A semicolon and a comma or a full stop and a comma when we have conjunctive adverbs.
Transitions functioning as conjunctive adverbs
| Addition | Concession | Result | Comparison |
| Moreover In addition Furthermore Also Additionally
| However Nevertheless Nonetheless | Consequently Therefore As a result As an effect Thus Hence | In contrast Similarly Likewise On the other hand |
Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A dependent clause either lacks a subject or a verb or has both a subject and a verb, but it does not express a complete thought. A complex sentence always has a subordinator (as, because, since, after, although, when) or relative pronouns (who, that, which).
Examples:
- After eating lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, Tim went to the gym to exercise.
- The woman who was sitting next to me lives in Italy.
Subordinating conjunctions
| Time | Cause | Purpose | Concession |
| When As soon as While Until After Before | Because Due to Owing to Thanks to | So that So as to To For In order to | Despite In spite of Although Even though |
| Place | Condition | Relative pronouns | |
| Where Wherever | If Only if Provided that | That, When, Why Where, Which Who, Whom Whose, Whatever |
Examples:
- My father believes (that I should be a writer).
- He inspires me always (because he believes in me).
- He works hard (so that he can provide everything we need).
- (Because she is a trustworthy person,) I trust her
- My life will be blessed (if I achieve my dreams.)
- (Though I tried to talk to them,) they did not seem to like me.
- No one could tell me (where I could get some pancakes.)
Compound-Complex Sentences – A compound-complex sentence has two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Examples:
- After the two soccer players lost their game, they joined their other teammates for lunch, and they went to the movies.
- The man believed in the system, and he knew that justice would prevail after the murderer was sent to jail.
