Sentence clause structure

In grammar, sentence clause structure commonly known as sentence composition is the classification of sentences based on the
number and kind of clauses in their syntactic structure. Such division is an element oftraditional grammar.

Contents
Types
Simple sentences
Compound sentences
Complex and compound-complex sentences
Incomplete sentence
Run-on (fused) sentences
See also
References
External links

Types
A simple sentence consists of only one clause. A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses. A complex
sentence has at least one independent clause plus at least one dependent clause.[1] A set of words with no independent clause may be
an incomplete sentence, also called a sentence fragment.

A sentence consisting of at least one dependent clause and at least two independent clauses may be called a complex-compound
sentence or compound-complex sentence.

Sentence 1 is an example of a simple sentence. Sentence 2 is compound because "so" is considered a coordinating conjunction in
English, and sentence 3 is complex. Sentence 4 is compound-complex (also known as complex-compound). Example 5 is a sentence
fragment.

1. I like trains.
2. I don't know how to bake, so I buy my bread already made.
3. I enjoyed the apple pie that you bought for me.
4. The dog lived in the garden, but the cat, who was smarter
, lived inside the house.
5. What an idiot.
The simple sentence in example 1 contains one clause. Example 2 has two clauses (I don't know how to bake and I buy my bread
already made), combined into a single sentence with the coordinating conjunction so. In example 3, I enjoyed the apple pie is an
independent clause, and that you bought for me is a dependent clause; the sentence is thus complex. In sentence 4, The dog lived in
the garden and the cat lived inside the house are both independent clauses; who was smarter is a dependent clause. Example 5
features a noun phrase but no verb. It is not a grammatically complete clause.

Simple sentences
A simple sentence structure contains oneindependent clause and no dependent clauses.[2]

I run.
This simple sentence has one independent clause which contains onesubject, I, and one verb, run.

The girl ran into her bedroom.

This simple sentence has one independent clause which contains one subject, girl, and one predicate, ran into her bedroom. The
predicate is a verb phrase that consists of more than one word.

In the backyard, the dog barked and howled at the cat.

This simple sentence has one independent clause which contains one subject, dog, and one predicate, barked and howled at the cat.
This predicate has two verbs, known as a compound predicate: barked and howled. This compound verb should not be confused with
a compound sentence.In the backyard and at the cat are prepositional phrases.

Compound sentences
A compound sentence is composed of at least two independent clauses. It does not require a dependent clause. The clauses are joined
by a coordinating conjunction (with or without a comma), a semicolon that functions as a conjunction, a colon instead of a
semicolon between two sentences when the second sentence explains or illustrates the first sentence and no coordinating conjunction
is being used to connect the sentences, or a conjunctive adverb preceded by a semicolon. A conjunction can be used to make a
compound sentence. Conjunctions are words such asfor, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Examples:

I started on time, but I arrived late.

I will accept your offer or decline it; these arethe two options.
The law was passed: from April 1, all cars would have to be tested.
The war was lost; consequently, the whole country was occupied.
The use of a comma to separate two independent clauses without the addition of an appropriate conjunction is called a comma splice
[2] Example:
and is generally considered an error (when used in the English language).

The sun was shining, everyone appeared happy

.

Complex and compound-complex sentences

A complex sentence has one or more dependent clauses (also called subordinate clauses). Since a dependent clause cannot stand on
its own as a sentence, complex sentences must also have at least one independent clause. In short, a sentence with one or more
dependent clauses and at least one independent clause is a complex sentence. A sentence with two or more independent clauses plus
one or more dependent clauses is called compound-complex or complex-compound.

In addition to a subject and a verb, dependent clauses contain a subordinating conjunctionor similar word. There are a large number
of subordinating conjunctions in English. Some of these give the clause an adverbial function, specifying time, place, or manner.
Such clauses are calledadverbial clauses.

When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind
.
(S. E. Hinton, The Outsiders)
This complex sentence contains an adverbial clause, When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie
house. The adverbial clause describes when the action of the main clause,I had only two things on my mind, took place.

A relative clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or noun phrase in the independent clause. In other words, the relative
clause functions similar to anadjective.

Let him who has been deceived complain. (Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote)
You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you.(J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone)
In the first example, the restrictive relative clause who has been deceived specifies or defines the meaning of him in the independent
clause, Let him complain. In the second example, the non-restrictive relative clause who have never known your family describes you
in the independent clause,You see them standing around you.
A noun clause is a dependent clause that functions like a noun. A noun clause may function as the subject of a clause, or as a
predicate nominative or an object.

What she had realised was that love was that moment when your heart was about to burst.
(Stieg Larsson, The Girl
with the Dragon Tattoo)
In this sentence the independent clause contains two noun clauses. The noun clause What she had realized serves as the subject of the
verb was, and that love was that moment serves as complement. The sentence also contains a relative clause, when your heart was
about to burst.

Incomplete sentence
An incomplete sentence, or sentence fragment, is a set of words which does not form a complete sentence, either because it does not
express a complete thought[1] or because it lacks some grammatical element, such as a subject or a verb.[3] A dependent clause
without an independent clause is one example of an incomplete sentence.

Some prescriptive grammars[4] consider sentences starting with a conjunction such as but or and to be incomplete sentences, but this
style prescription has "no historical or grammatical foundation".[5] Computer grammar checkers often highlight incomplete
, an incomplete sentence may be permissible.[6]
sentences. If the context is clear from the rest of the paragraph, however

Run-on (fused) sentences

A run-on or fused sentence consists of two or more independent clauses (i.e., clauses with subject and predicate) that are joined
without any appropriate punctuation. An example of such a grammatically incorrect sentence could be, "It is nearly half past five we
cannot reach town before dark." Some common remedies would be to separate the two independent clauses (between "five" and
"we") with either a period [...five. We...], a comma and conjunction (...five, and we...), or a semicolon (...five; we...). Joining the two
independent clauses with only a comma is actually another common grammatical error, the comma splice. James Joyce's novel
Ulysses employs streams of consciousness, which takes literary license by intentionally breaking this grammatical rule by use of
long, punctuation-free, run-on sentences, particularly in the final chapterPenelope".
"

In general, run-on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are joined without using a coordinating conjunction (i.e.
[7][8][9] A run-on sentence can be as short as four
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or correct punctuation (i.e. semicolon, dash, or period).
words, for instance: I drive she walks, or even I drive, she walks, because in this case, there are two subjects paired with two
intransitive verbs. An imperative sentence like "Run walk" can be a run-on even if it only has two words.

While some sources view comma splices as a form of run-on sentence,[8] others limit the term to independent clauses that are joined
without punctuation.[7][10]

See also
Comma splice

References
1. Huddleston, Rodney (1984).Introduction to the Grammar of English. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-
29704-2.
2. Rozakis, Laurie (2003).The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style
. Alpha. pp. 167–168. ISBN 1-59257-115-
8.
3. Sinclair, Christine (2007). Grammar: Getting it Right. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-335-22008-3.
4. e.g. H. W. Fowler in Modern English Usageon BUT, p. 60 in the first edition.
5. The Chicago Manual of Style(16th ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 2010. p. 257. ISBN 978-0-226-
10420-1.
 6. "Sentence fragments" (http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/fragments.htm). commnet.edu. 20 December
2015. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
7. Berry, Chris; Brizee, Allen (2006-08-31)."Runons – Comma SplicesFused Sentences" (http://owl.english.purdue.ed
u/owl/resource/598/02/). Retrieved 2008-01-24.
8. "Run-on Sentences, Comma Splices"(http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/runons.htm). Retrieved
2008-01-24.
9. "English Grammar Lesson - Run-Ons! - ELC"(https://www.elc.edu/english-grammar-lesson-run-ons/). ELC - English
Language Center. 2017-05-19. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
10. Hairston, Maxine; Ruszkiewicz, John J; Friend, Christy (1998). "The Scott Foresman Handbook for riters"
W (5th ed.).
New York: Longman: 509.

External links
"Sentence Types". Online Writing Lab. Purdue University. 1995. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
Campos Noguera, José Manuel."Complex sentences". English Post: English Language Learning and e
Taching.
Retrieved 2 February 2014.
"Independent and Dependent Clauses"(PDF).

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