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Sentence Structure Types

This document discusses the four main types of sentences: simple sentences with one subject and predicate, compound sentences with two or more independent clauses joined with coordinating conjunctions, complex sentences with one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses, and compound-complex sentences with a combination of independent and dependent clauses. It provides examples of each sentence type and explains the basic elements and conjunctions used to join different clauses.

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Mohammad Yasser Makil
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31 views

Sentence Structure Types

This document discusses the four main types of sentences: simple sentences with one subject and predicate, compound sentences with two or more independent clauses joined with coordinating conjunctions, complex sentences with one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses, and compound-complex sentences with a combination of independent and dependent clauses. It provides examples of each sentence type and explains the basic elements and conjunctions used to join different clauses.

Uploaded by

Mohammad Yasser Makil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Sentence Structure:

Sentence Types
Sentence Types

• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Compound-Complex
Basic Elements of Every Sentence

SUBJECT PREDICATE
Basic Elements

SUBJECT PREDICATE

Mary plays tennis.


Simple Sentence
Simple Sentence

• A simple sentence has one subject and one

predicate.
Simple Sentence

Observe how a simple sentence is constructed:

We went to San Juan yesterday.


Simple Sentence

Pronoun Verb Prepositional phrase

We went to San Juan .

Simple subject Complete predicate


SIMPLE SENTENCE

SUBJECT PREDICATE

Mary plays tennis.

one subject one predicate


Compound Sentence
Compound Sentence
• A compound sentence has more than one
part that can stand alone (independent
clauses).

• Independent clauses are connected by coor-


dinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs
or a semi-colon.
Compound Sentence

We went to San Juan, and

most of us danced all night.


Compound Sentence
Subject Verb Prepositional phrase

We went to San Juan,

Coordinating Predicate
Conjunction
and most of us danced all night .

Subject Verb Modifying phrase


Compound Sentence

Use of Coordinating Conjunctions

SUBJECT PREDICATE

SUBJECT PREDICATE
Compound Sentence
Tom swims,

and

Mary plays tennis.


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.

Comma before “and”


in compound
sentences!
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS

MOREOVER
HOWEVER
OTHERWISE
THEREFORE
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS

Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.

Clause 1 Clause 2
Independent Independent
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS

Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.

Note: Semicolon
before conjunctive
adverb and comma
after conjunctive adverb!
Conjunctive Adverbs “float”

• Conjunctive adverbs are sometimes called


“floating” adverbs because they can be po-
sitioned 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 obvi-
ous 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 an-
other one that cannot

• The part that cannot stand alone is linked


to the rest of the sentence by a subordi-
nating conjunction
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 Part that cannot stand alone


Conjunction

Subject Predicate

we went to San Juan yesterday.


Complex Sentence

SUBJECT PREDICATE

even though

SUBJECT PREDICATE
Complex Sentence

Bob is popular

even though

he is ugly.
COMPLEX SENTENCE:
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

The most common subordinating conjunc-


tions are "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
Compound-Complex Sentence
• 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.


Compound-Complex Sentence
Subordinating
Conjunction

Since we wanted to have fun,


Part that cannot stand alone

my boyfriend and I went to San Juan,

Coordinating Subject Predicate


Conjunction

and we danced all night.


Compound-Complex Sentence
Mike is popular

because

he is good looking,

but

he is not very happy.


Exercises

Say if the following sentences are:


Simple, compound, complex or com-
pound-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. Simple
2. Compound
3. Complex
4. Simple
5. Compound-complex
1. Because Kayla has so much climbing experi-
ence , 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
couldn’t 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. Complex
2. Simple
3. Compound
4. Compound
5. Compound-complex
References

Writing Academic English, Second Edition, by Alice Os-


hima and Ann Hogue. White Plains: Addison, Wesley,
Longman, 1999.
The Little, Brown Handbook, by H. Ramsey Fowler and
Jane E. Aaron, Pearson, 2004.

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