SIMPLE....COMPOUND....COMPLEX...COMPOUND-COMPLEX
***Notice the punctuation of these sentence
types.***
Sentences are classified, according
to form, as simple,
compound,
complex and
compound-complex. The
two
main elements of a sentence are the subject
and verb. A group of words with a subject and verb is called a
clause. Some clauses
are complete statements, and therefore independent clauses; others are dependent upon
some word, or words, in another clause for
their meaning.
A SIMPLE SENTENCE has only one subject and one verb. An independent clause is the same as a simple
sentence.
Ex: Good students work hard.
A COMPOUND SENTENCE consists of two or more independent clauses.
Ex: Students work hard, and
they succeed.
(Note that these two clauses are joined by a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction.
The only coordinating conjunctions are: for,
and, nor, but, or, yet, so.)
A COMPLEX SENTENCE consists of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.
Ex: When students work hard,
they succeed.
dependent clause followed by an independent
clause
Ex: Students succeed when
they work hard.
independent clause followed by a dependent
clause
A COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE consists of two independent clauses and one or more dependent
clauses.
Ex: If he is motivated, a
student will work hard, and he will succeed.
Look at the following sentences
and determine the sentence classification. (Answers on last page.)
1. When Mother turned to tell the boys her
answer, they were asleep.
2. Her smile was bright, and it brought an
answering smile from Andrew.
3. When I lost my passport, I ordered a new
one, but I did not worry about it.
4. It beat against the windshield with a
light, prickling sound.
5. The driving snow that had whirled furiously
now turned into tiny flakes.
Source: http://www.gpc.edu/~lawowl/handouts/sentence-types.pdf
