SENTENCE

VARIETY4 Types of Sentences

Amy KeeslingEnglish 121

SIMPLE SENTENCE

1st Sentence Type

THE SIMPLE SENTENCE AKA: Independent Clause A Complete Thought with one main idea.

Analogy: An adult who lives alone and pays its own bills.

Usually short sentences, but can be long

EXAMPLE: SHORT SIMPLE SENTENCE

The dog barked.

EXAMPLE: LONG SIMPLE SENTENCEThe beautiful Golden Retriever barked ferociously at the little brown squirrel placidly sitting on the fence in the back yard.

COMPOUND SENTENCE

2nd Sentence Type

THE COMPOUND SENTENCE Independent Clause +

Independent Clause Two main ideas that are equal to

each other Analogy: a marriage—two adults

that choose to come together and be one.

Two ways to do this correctly, and two ways to do it incorrectly.

2 SIMPLE SENTENCES:

1. The dog barked.

2. I let him go outside.

INCORRECT: Run-on sentence: The dog barked I let him go outside.

Comma splice: The dog barked, I let him go outside.

1ST WAY: SEMICOLONThe dog barked; I let him go outside.

TO ADD VARIETY, USE CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS

The dog barked; therefore, I let him go outside.

Consequently Finally For instance Hence However Moreover Nevertheless Still Therefore Then Thus In addition

2ND WAY: COMMA WITH COORDINATING CONJUNCTION(AKA FANBOYS)

The dog barked, so I let him go outside.

F=for A=and N=nor B=but O=or Y=yet S=so

COMPLEX SENTENC

E

3rd Sentence Type

THE COMPLEX SENTENCE Independent Clause + Dependent Clause

Analogy: An adult and a child Dominant idea and subordinate idea

A dependent clause must begin with a subordinating conjunction.

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS After Although As/as if As long as As much as As soon as As though Because Before Even if Even though

How If In order that Now that Since So that Though Unless Until When/whenever Where/wherever While

HOW TO CREATE A COMPLEX SENTENCE1.Start with an independent clause: The dog barked.2. Add a subordinating conjunction:When the dog barked. .. .3. Add an independent clause:When the dog barked, I let him go outside.

COMPLEX SENTENCESClause order does not matter, but punctuation does matter:

Dependent clause first:

After the dog went outside, he dug a hole.

Independent clause first:

The dog dug a hole after he went outside.

SPECIAL NOTE: BECAUSEYou can start a sentence with because when you are writing a complex sentence.Wrong: Because the dog dug a hole under the fence.Right: Because the dog dug a hole under the fence, he ran wild around the neighborhood.

COMPOUND-

COMPLEX SENTENCE

4th Sentence Type

COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES Independent Clause + Independent Clause + Dependent Clause

Analogy: Family of two adults and a child

Long sentences High level of thinking

CREATING COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES3 Simple Sentences:1. The cat meowed.2. He rubbed against my ankles.3. His food dish was empty.

Directions: Combine two sentences with a semicolon

or a comma + FANBOYS Begin one sentence with a subordinating

conjunction

CREATING COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES, CONT. The cat meowed, and

he rubbed against my ankles because his food dish was empty.

Because his food dish was empty, the cat meowed, and he rubbed against my ankles.

The cat meowed because his food dish was empty, and he rubbed against my ankles.

YOUR TURN!

Combine these sentences:1. I want to go to a party.2. I have a test on Monday.3. I have to study.