Sentence Structure:
Sentence Types
Sentence Types
Simple
Compound
Complex
CompoundComplex
Basic Elements of Every Sentence
SUBJECT
PREDICATE
Basic Elements
SUBJECT
PREDICATE
Mary
playstennis.
Simple Sentence
Simple Sentence
A simple sentence has one
subject and one predicate.
Simple Sentence
Observehowasimplesentenceisconstructed:
WewenttoSanJuanyesterday.
Simple Sentence
Pronoun
Verb
Prepositionalphrase
WewenttoSanJuan.
Simplesubject
Completepredicate
SIMPLE SENTENCE
SUBJECT
PREDICATE
Mary
playstennis.
one subject
one predicate
Simple Sentence
TomandMary
Compound Subject
&
playtennis.
Simple Sentence
TomandMary
Compound Subject
&
playtennisandswim.
Compound Predicate
&
SIMPLE SENTENCE
with compound subject
Tom and Mary play tennis.
SIMPLE SENTENCE
with compound subject
and
compound predicate
Tom and Mary play tennis and
swim.
Compound Sentence
Compound Sentence
A compound sentence has more
than one part that can stand alone
(independent clauses).
Independent clauses are connected
by
coordinating
conjunctive
colon.
adverbs
conjunctions,
or
semi-
Compound Sentence
We went to San Juan, and
most of us danced all night.
Compound Sentence
Subject
Verb
Prepositionalphrase
We went to San Juan,
Coordinating
Conjunction
Predicate
and most of us danced all night .
Subject
Verb
Modifyingphrase
Compound Sentence
Use of Coordinating
Conjunctions
SUBJECT
SUBJECT
PREDICATE
PREDICATE
Compound Sentence
Tom
swims,
and
Mary
playstennis.
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
FOR
AND
NOR
BUT
OR
YET
SO
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis.
Clause 1
Clause 2
Independent
Independent
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis.
Commabeforeand
incompound
sentences!
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS
MOREOVER
HOWEVER
OTHERWISE
THEREFORE
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS
Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.
Clause 1
Independent
Clause 2
Independent
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS
Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.
Note:Semicolon
beforeconjunctive
adverbandcomma
afterconjunctiveadverb!
Conjunctive Adverbs float
Conjunctive adverbs are
sometimes called floating
adverbs because they can be
positioned at the beginning, in the
middle, or at the end of a clause.
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERB:
AT THE BEGINNING, IN THE
MIDDLE,AT THE END
Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.
Bob is handsome; he is, moreover, rich.
Bob is handsome; he is rich, moreover.
Semicolons
If the relation between the ideas
expressed in the main clauses is
very close and obvious without a
conjunction, you can separate the
clauses with a semicolon (Little,
Brown Handbook, 9th Edition, p.
361).
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
SEMICOLON
Tom has benefited from his exercise
program; he is slim and energetic.
Complex Sentence
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence has at least
two parts: one that can stand
alone and another one that cannot
The part that cannot stand alone
is
linked
sentence
conjunction
to
the
by
rest
of
the
subordinating
Complex Sentence
Since my boyfriend and I wanted to have
fun,
we went to San Juan yesterday.
Complex Sentence
Since we wanted to have fun,
Subordinating
Conjunction
Partthatcannotstandalone
Subject
Predicate
we went to San Juan yesterday.
Complex Sentence
SUBJECT
PREDICATE
eventhough
SUBJECT
PREDICATE
Complex Sentence
Bob
ispopular
eventhough
he
isugly.
COMPLEX SENTENCE:
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Themostcommonsubordinating
conjunctionsare"after,""although,"
"as,""because,""before,""how,"
"if,""once,""since,""than,"
"that,"though,""till,""until,"
"when,""where,""whether,and
while."
COMPLEX SENTENCE:
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Bob is popular even though he is ugly.
Clause 1
Clause 2
Independent
Dependent
COMPLEX SENTENCE:
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Even though Bob is ugly, he is popular.
Clause 1
Clause 2
Dependent
Independent
Compound-Complex
Sentence
CompoundComplexSentence
This type of sentence has more
than one part that can stand
alone,
and
at
least
one
that
cannot.
Conjunctions link the different
parts of this sentence.
Compound-Complex
Sentence
Since we wanted to have fun,
my boyfriend and I went to San Juan yesterday,
and we danced all night.
CompoundComplexSentence
Subordinating
Conjunction
Since we wanted to have fun,
Partthatcannotstandalone
my boyfriend and I went to San Juan,
Coordinating
Conjunction
Subject
Predicate
and we danced all night.
Compound-Complex
Sentence
Mike
ispopular
because
he
isgoodlooking,
but
he
isnotveryhappy.
Exercises
Say if the following sentences
are:
Simple, compound, complex
or compound-complex.
1. The bell rang.
2. Bridget ran the first part of the race,
and Tara biked the second part.
3. He stands at the bottom of the cliff
while the climber moves up the
rock.
4. The skier turned and jumped.
5. Naoki passed the test because he
studied hard and understood the
material.
Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Simple
Compound
Complex
Simple
Compound-complex
1. Because Kayla has so much climbing
experience , we asked her to lead our
group.
2. You and I need piano lessons.
3. I planned to go to the hockey game, but
I couldnt get tickets.
4. Dorothy likes white water rafting, but
she also enjoys kayaking.
5. There are many problems to solve
before this program can be used, but
engineers believe that they will be able
to solve them soon.
Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Complex
Simple
Compound
Compound
Compound-complex
References
WritingAcademicEnglish,SecondEdition,byAlice
OshimaandAnnHogue.WhitePlains:Addison,
Wesley,Longman,1999.
TheLittle,BrownHandbook,byH.RamseyFowlerand
JaneE.Aaron,Pearson,2004.
