Week 4 : Sentence Types

Advanced Composition for Non-Native Speakers of

English
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Sentences: Simple, Compound, and Complex

Experienced writers use a variety of sentences to make their writing

interesting and lively. Too many simple sentences, for example, will sound
choppy and immature while too many long sentences will be difficult to read
and hard to understand.
This page contains definitions of simple, compound, and complex sentences
with many simple examples. The purpose of these examples is to help the
ESL/EFL learner to identify sentence basics including identification of
sentences in the short quizzes that follow. After that, it will be possible to
analyze more complex sentences varieties.
SIMPLE SENTENCE
A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a
verb, and it expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences,
subjects are in yellow, and verbs are in green.

A. Some students like to study in the mornings.

B. Juan and Arturo play football every afternoon.
C. Alicia goes to the library and studies every day.

The three examples above are all simple sentences. Note that sentence B
contains a compound subject, and sentence C contains a compound verb.
Simple sentences, therefore, contain a subject and verb and express a
complete thought, but they can also contain a compound subjects or verbs.
COMPOUND SENTENCE
A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a
coordinator. The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
(Helpful hint: The first letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.)
Except for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a
comma. In the following compound sentences, subjects are in yellow, verbs
are in green, and the coordinators and the commas that precede them are in

red.

A. I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.

B. Alejandro played football, so Maria went shopping.
C. Alejandro played football, for Maria went shopping.

The above three sentences are compound sentences. Each sentence contains
two independent clauses, and they are joined by a coordinator with a comma
preceding it. Note how the conscious use of coordinators can change the
relationship between the clauses. Sentences B and C, for example, are
identical except for the coordinators. In sentence B, which action occurred
first? Obviously, "Alejandro played football" first, and as a consequence, "Maria
went shopping. In sentence C, "Maria went shopping" first. In sentence C,
"Alejandro played football" because, possibly, he didn't have anything else to
do, for orbecause "Maria went shopping." How can the use of other
coordinators change the relationship between the two clauses? What
implications would the use of "yet" or "but" have on the meaning of the
sentence?
COMPLEX SENTENCE
A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more
dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such
as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that,
who, or which. In the following complex sentences, subjects are in yellow,
verbs are in green, and the subordinators and their commas (when required)
are in red.

A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the

last page.
B. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
C. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
D. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies.
E. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they finishedstudying.

When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences A and

D, a comma is required at the end of the dependent clause. When the
independent clause begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in
sentences B, C, and E, no comma is required. If a comma is placed before the

subordinators in sentences B, C, and E, it is wrong.

Note that sentences D and E are the same except sentence D begins with the
dependent clause which is followed by a comma, and sentence E begins with
the independent clause which contains no comma. The comma after the
dependent clause in sentence D is required, and experienced listeners of
English will often hear a slight pause there. In sentence E, however, there will
be no pause when the independent clause begins the sentence.
COMPLEX SENTENCES / ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
Finally, sentences containing adjective clauses (or dependent clauses) are also complex
because they contain an independent clause and a dependent clause. The subjects, verbs,
and subordinators are marked the same as in the previous sentences, and in these
sentences, the independent clauses are also underlined.

A. The woman who called my mom sells cosmetics.

B. The book that Jonathan read is on the shelf.
C. The house which Abraham Lincoln was born inis still standing.
D. The town where I grew up is in the United States.

Adjective Clauses are studied in this site separately, but for now it is important to know
that sentences containing adjective clauses are complex.
CONCLUSION
Are sure you now know the differences between simple, compound, and
complex sentences? Click QUICK QUIZ to find out. This quiz is just six
sentences. The key is to look for the subjects and verbs first.
Another quiz, this one about Helen Keller contains ten sentences.
These quiz sentences based on the short story, The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen,
by Bruno Lessing.
Quick Quiz: Shadrach
After each quiz, click GRADE QUIZ to see your score immediately.
Remember that with the skill to write good simple, compound, and complex
sentences, you will have the flexibility to (1) convey your ideas precisely and
(2) entertain with sentence variety at the same time! Good luck with these
exercises!

English Composition 1
Sentences: Simple, Compound, and
Complex
A common weakness in writing is the lack of varied sentences. Becoming
aware of three general types of sentences--simple, compound, and
complex--can help you vary the sentences in your writing.
The most effective writing uses a variety of the sentence types explained
below.

1. Simple Sentences
A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make it a sentence: a
subject, a verb, and a completed thought.
Examples of simple sentences include the following:
1.

Joe waited for the train.

"Joe" = subject, "waited" = verb

2.

The train was late.

"The train" = subject, "was" = verb

3.

Mary and Samantha took the bus.

"Mary and Samantha" = compound subject, "took" = verb

4.

I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station.

"I" = subject, "looked" = verb

5.

Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon and left on
the bus before I arrived.
"Mary and Samantha" = compound subject, "arrived" and "left" =
compound verb

Tip: If you use many simple sentences in an essay, you should consider
revising some of the sentences into compound or complex sentences
(explained below).
The use of compound subjects, compound verbs, prepositional phrases
(such as "at the bus station"), and other elements help lengthen simple
sentences, but simple sentences often are short. The use of too many
simple sentences can make writing "choppy" and can prevent the writing
from flowing smoothly.
A simple sentence can also be referred to as an independent clause. It is
referred to as "independent" because, while it might be part of a compound
or complex sentence, it can also stand by itself as a complete sentence.

2. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence refers to a sentence made up of two independent
clauses (or complete sentences) connected to one another with
a coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are easy to
remember if you think of the words "FAN BOYS":

For

And

Nor

But

Or

Yet

So

Examples of compound sentences include the following:

1.

Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.

2.

I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station, but they arrived at
the station before noon and left on the bus before I arrived.

3.

Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, and they
left on the bus before I arrived.

4.

Mary and Samantha left on the bus before I arrived, so I did not see
them at the bus station.

Tip: If you rely heavily on compound sentences in an essay, you should

consider revising some of them into complex sentences (explained below).
Coordinating conjunctions are useful for connecting sentences, but
compound sentences often are overused. While coordinating conjunctions
can indicate some type of relationship between the two independent
clauses in the sentence, they sometimes do not indicate much of a
relationship. The word "and," for example, only adds one independent
clause to another, without indicating how the two parts of a sentence are
logically related. Too many compound sentences that use "and" can
weaken writing.
Clearer and more specific relationships can be established through the use
of complex sentences.

3. Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and one or
more dependent clauses connected to it. A dependent clause is similar to
an independent clause, or complete sentence, but it lacks one of the
elements that would make it a complete sentence.
Examples of dependent clauses include the following:

because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon

while he waited at the train station

after they left on the bus

Dependent clauses such as those above cannot stand alone as a

sentence, but they can be added to an independent clause to form a
complex sentence.
Dependent clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions. Below are
some of the most common subordinating conjunctions:

after

although

as

because

before

even though

if

since

though

unless

until

when

whenever

whereas

wherever

while

A complex sentence joins an independent clause with one or more

dependent clauses.
The dependent clauses can go first in the sentence, followed by the
independent clause, as in the following:

Tip: When the dependent clause comes first, a comma should be used to
separate the two clauses.
1.
2.
3.

Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, I
did not see them at the station.
While he waited at the train station, Joe realized that the train was late.
After they left on the bus, Mary and Samantha realized that Joe was
waiting at the train station.

Conversely, the independent clauses can go first in the sentence, followed

by the dependent clause, as in the following:

Tip: When the independent clause comes first, a comma should not be
used to separate the two clauses.
1.

I did not see them at the station because Mary and Samantha arrived at
the bus station before noon.

2.

Joe realized that the train was late while he waited at the train station.

3.

Mary and Samantha realized that Joe was waiting at the train station
after they left on the bus.

Complex sentences are often more effective than compound sentences

because a complex sentence indicates clearer and more specific
relationships between the main parts of the sentence. The word "before,"
for instance, tells readers that one thing occurs before another. A word such
as "although" conveys a more complex relationship than a word such as
"and" conveys.
The term periodic sentence is used to refer to a complex sentence beginning
with a dependent clause and ending with an independent clause, as in "While
he waited at the train station, Joe realized that the train was late."
Periodic sentences can be especially effective because the completed thought
occurs at the end of it, so the first part of the sentence can build up to the
meaning that comes at the end.

Beginning Sentences with "And" or "Because"

Should you begin a sentence with "and" or "but" (or one of the other
coordinating conjunctions)?
The short answer is "no." You should avoid beginning a sentence with
"and," "or," "but," or the other coordinating conjunctions. These words

generally are used to join together parts of a sentence, not to begin a new
sentence.
However, such sentences can be used effectively. Because sentences
beginning with these words stand out, they are sometimes used for
emphasis. If you use sentences beginning with one of the coordinating
conjunctions, you should use these sentences sparingly and carefully.
Should you begin a sentence with "because"?
There is nothing wrong with beginning a sentence with "because."
Perhaps some students are told not to begin a sentence with "because" to
avoid sentence fragments (something like "Because Mary and Samantha
arrived at the bus station before noon" is a sentence fragment), but it is
perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with "because" as long as the
sentence is complete (as in "Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the
bus station before noon, I did not see them at the station.")