Types of Sentences

Mrs. M.

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 Introduction
 A common weakness in writing is the
lack of varied sentences.
 When writing essays, write different
types of sentences to avoid boredom.
 Write simple, compound, complex and
compound-complex sentences.
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 Simple Sentences
A simple sentence…
 has one or more subjects.

 has one verb or sometimes two or

more compound verbs.

 is independent (can stand by

itself).
 makes sense.

 is not necessarily short.

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 Examples of simple sentences
One subject, one verb
Ex: Joe waited for the train.
Two subjects, one verb
Joe and Jack waited for the train.

One subject, two compound verbs

 Joe waited and hoped for the train.

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More examples of simple sentences
Two subjects, two compound verbs
Ex: He and I talked and laughed for
hours.

More than two compound verbs.

She cried, pleaded, threatened and
cussed at everybody for more than
thirty minutes.
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Simple sentences can be short or long.
Melt!

Ice melts.
The ice melts quickly.
The ice on the river melts quickly under
the warm March sun.
Lying exposed without its blanket of snow
the ice on the river melts quickly under th
warm March sun.
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 Compound Sentences

 A compound sentence is
made up of two independent
clauses connected to one
another with a coordinating
conjunction or a semi-
colon(;)
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 Coordinating conjunctions are:
 For
 And

 Nor

 But

 Or

 Yet

 So aka FANBOYS
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Examples of Compound Sentences
 Joe waited for the train, but the
train was late.
 Mary and Ana left early, so I did
not get to say goodbye.
 The boss doesn’t want to see
anybody, nor does he want any
phone calls.
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More Compound Sentences
 He likes to read, and my wife
likes to talk.

 He likes to read; his wife likes to

talk.

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 Complex Sentences
 A complex sentence is made
up of an independent clause
and one or more dependent
clauses connected to it.
 Dependent clauses begin with
subordinating conjunctions
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Common Subordinating Conjunctions
after even until
although if when
as since whenever
as if that whereas
as soon as though wherever
because unless whether
before while
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Examples of complex sentences
 Because Mary left early, I did not get
to say goodbye to her.

 While he waited at the train station,

Joe called his girlfriend.

 When the train left, Mary realized that

she had left her purse at the station.
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More Examples of Complex
Sentences
 Unless I am wrong, peaches were
first grown in China.
 Bring your backpack when you
come to school today.
 Someone forgot to water the roses
that grow in the side yard.
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Compound-complex sentences

 under construction

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 References
 http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/sentences.htm
 http://www.old.abcusd.k12.ca.us/dist_info/schl/tetz2/7t
h%20PDF%20Grammar/7th%20Complex%20Sentenc
es.pdf
 http://www.pitt.edu/~atteberr/comp/0150/grammar/com
poundpunct.html
 http://bcms.leesummit.k12.mo.us/7-3bcms/la/Sentenc
eTypes.ppt
 http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/snt
strct.html
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