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Sentences
Dependent & Independent Clauses
Simple & Compound Sentences
Compound, complex, & compound-complex
Run-ons, Comma splices, fragments
Declarative, Imperative, Interrogative, Exclamatory
Independent Clause – A complete thought that stands alone.
Ex. San Francisco banned most McDonald's Happy Meals with toys.
Dependent Clause (sentence fragment) – Is NOT a complete thought and cannot stand alone
(usually begins with words like because, when, if, until, who, while, and that). Such a clause might
tell when something happened, which person was involved, or where the event took place.
Ex. because they want fast-food restaurants that serve meals with toys to meet nutritional
standards.
Ex. so that they will make the restaurant accountable for childhood obesity.
Combine these clauses to make a complete sentence.
Ex. San Francisco banned most McDonald's Happy Meals with toys because they want fastfood restaurants that serve meals with toys to meet nutritional standards.
Simple Sentence – 1 independent clause and NO dependent clause.
Ex. McDonald’s is disappointed.
Compound Sentence – 2 or more independent clauses and NO dependent clause. Joined by a
semicolon or coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, so, or, yet
Ex. McDonald’s is disappointed, but it is committed to change the menu.
OR
McDonald’s is disappointed; it is committed to change the menu.
Complex Sentence – 1 independent clause and 1 or more dependent clauses.
Ex. Because they want to keep offering toys, McDonald's and other restaurants, who have
agreed to improve their meals’ nutrition, will add fruits and vegetables to their meals.
Compound-Complex Sentence – 2 or more independent clauses and 1 or more dependent clause.
Ex. When the law is put into practice, the food and beverages will have to contain fewer
than 600 calories, and less than 35 percent of total calories will come from fat.
Ex. The meal must contain half a cup of fruit and three-fourths cup of vegetables, and it
must offer less than 640 milligrams of sodium and less than 0.5 milligrams of trans fat, because
these requirements are healthier.
Simple Subject – the main word or words in the complete subject.
Ex. The meal contains fruit. “The meal” is the simple subject.
Compound Subject - Is made up of two or more subjects that share the same verb. Joined by a
conjunction, or connecting word, such as and, or, or but.
Ex. McDonald’s and Burger King are two fast-food restaurants. “McDonald’s and Burger
King” is the compound subject.
Simple Predicate – the verb or main word or words in the complete predicate.
Ex. The meal contains fruit. “Contains” is the simple predicate.
Compound Verb - Is made up of two or more verbs that have the same subject. Joined by a
conjunction such as and, or, or but.
Ex. McDonald’s makes yummy French fries and offers a toy to children. “Makes” and
“offers” are the two verbs with the same subject.
Sentence Fragment – part of a sentence that is written as if it were complete.
Ex. Part of a “food justice” movement.
Run-on – two or more sentences written as if a single sentence.
Ex. The food and beverages will have to contain fewer than 600 calories less than 35
percent of total calories will come from fat.
Comma Splice - two or more sentences, separated by a comma, written as if a single sentence.
Ex. The food and beverages will have to contain fewer than 600 calories, less than 35
percent of total calories will come from fat.
Declarative – The study said the fast food industry spent $4.2 billion on advertising in 2009.
Imperative – Order breakfast at McDonald’s because there is the option to have half cups of fruit
or vegetables.
Interrogative – Do you believe that 84 percent of parents say they've taken their children to eat
fast food at least once in the past week?
Exclamatory – The study found that 40 percent of preschool-aged children ask to go to McDonald's
on a weekly basis and 15 percent ask on a daily basis!