Download Sentences

Sentences
Simple, Compound, Complex
Mrs. Demos
OMMS
2008
Simple Sentences
(Independent Clauses)

Simple Sentence: a sentence with only one
complete thought. It may have more than
one subject and more than one verb.

Example: Bill danced in the club.
Compound Subject

Two or more subjects that act on the SAME
verb.

Example: Bill and Mary danced in the club.
– This is a simple sentence with two subjects that
act on the same verb.
Compound Verb

Two or more verbs that share the same
subject.

Example: Bill ran and jumped during the
game.
Both compound subject and verb

Some simple sentences can have a
compound subject and compound verb.

Example: Bill and Mary walked to the store
and bought potato chips.
Compound Sentences
(Two Independent Clauses)

A compound sentence is a sentence that
consists of two simple sentences.

Example: Bill won the race, and he received
a gold medal.
Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are words that
are used to connect other words and groups
of words. In compound sentences,
coordinating conjunctions, along with a
comma, connect the two simple sentences.
FANBOYS

Coordinating conjunctions
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
Rule #1

Compound sentences connected with a
coordinating conjunction MUST HAVE at
least one subject and at least one verb on
BOTH sides of the comma and conjunction.
Semicolon
Use a semicolon in compound sentences to
separate the two simple sentences. The
semicolon REPLACES the comma and the
coordinating conjunction.
 Example: Bill won the race; he received a
gold medal.

Rule #2

Compound sentences separated by a
semicolon MUST HAVE at least one
subject and at least one verb on BOTH sides
of the semicolon.
Complex Sentences
(An independent clause and a dependent
clause)
A sentence that combines a simple sentence
and a subordinate clause.
 A subordinate clause is a group of words
that CANNOT STAND ALONE as a simple
sentence. They need to be connected to a
simple sentence.

Rule #3

Subordinate clauses that begin with
subordinating conjunctions are known as
adverb clauses. Many complex sentences
include adverb clauses.
Rule #4

When the clause with the subordinating
conjunction BEGINS the sentence, you need to
separate the simple sentence from the clause with
a comma.
– Example: After Bill won the race, he received a medal.

You do not need a comma when the subordinating
conjunction appears in the MIDDLE of the
sentence.
– Example: Bill received a medal after he won the race.
Subordinating Conjunctions







After
Because
Though
Whereas
Although
Before
Till
While
As long as
As
Since
If
When
Unless
As though
As if
So that
In order that
Until
Where
HINT: You should memorize this list of subordinating conjunctions
because their appearance in a sentence is a big clue that the sentence is
complex.