Types of Sentences

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Types of Sentences
University Learning Center AC I 160 / PC
247 Florida International University
Developed by Jasveen Bhasin English Writing Tutor
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The Simple Sentence

• A simple sentence has the following structure

Subject Verb
1 Independent Clause
Simple Sentence
In other words, a simple sentence consists of 1
independent clause, which contains one subject
and at least one verb.
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Simple Sentence Example

• Marina travels to Amsterdam every year in the
  summer time.

This is a simple sentence. It contains one
subject Mariana and one verb travels.
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Complicated but Still Simple
A sentence is not necessarily simple because it
has a simple structure. Some sentences may have a
long and confusing structure but can still be
simple because they contain one subject and verb.
A dependent clause may also contain a subject and
verb, but a simple sentence only consists of one
independent clause.
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The Compound Sentence

• A compound sentence has the following
• structure

Independent Clause Coordinating Conjunction
Independent Clause
Compound Sentence
In other words, a compound sentence has 2 or more
independent clauses joined by a coordinating
conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). A
compound sentence may even have a semi-colon (),
a colon () or a dash (--) instead of a
coordinating conjunction.
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Compound Example

• Martin wanted to go fishing, but Alice
• wanted to go skiing.

This is a compound sentence. It contains two
independent clauses (Martin wanted to go fishing
and Alice wanted to go skiing), which are joined
by a coordinating conjunction (but).
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The Complex Sentence

• Complex sentences have a different structure from
  simple and compound sentences

Independent Clause Dependent Clause
or
Dependent Clause Comma Independent Clause
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence contains 1 independent clause
and 1 or more dependent clauses. If a dependent
clause begins the sentence, there normally is a
comma (,) after it. If an independent clause
begins a complex sentence there should not be a
comma after it.
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Complex Example

• Although she worked hard to gain
• recognition, many people did not know
• who she was.

Although she worked hard to gain recognition is a
dependent clause because it begins with the
subordinating conjunction although. Many people
did not know who she was would be an independent
clause, therefore making the sentence a complex
sentence.
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The Compound-Complex Sentence
The compound-complex sentence has the following
structure
Independent clause coordinating conjunction
independent clause
dependent clause
compound-complex sentence
It does not have to be in that order. A dependent
clause can stand in between two independent
clauses. The rule is there should be at least two
independent and at least one dependent clause in
a compound-complex sentence.
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Compound-Complex Example
Although she worked hard to gain recognition,
many people did not know who she was, and her
friends did not even appreciate her work.
Here, we added an extra clause to the complex
sentence we used earlier her friends did not
even appreciate her work. Adding this independent
clause with the coordinating conjunction and
makes this a compound-complex sentence.
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Lets try an exercise
Identify the following types of sentences

• Living in Spain was one of the best experiences
  that Carol had during college.

• Although the volcano erupted long ago, the
  collapsed mountaintop formed a lake bed that is
  still hot.

• I have always looked forward to my summer
  vacations.

• Noorie plays basketball on Saturdays, and she
  goes fishing on Sundays.

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Answers

• Living in Spain was one of the best experiences
  that Carol had during college.

This is a complex sentence Living in Spain was
one of the best experiences independent
clause That Carol had during college dependent
clause
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• Although the volcano erupted long ago, the
  collapsed mountaintop formed a lake bed that is
  still hot.

Complex sentence Although the volcano erupted
long ago dependent clause The collapsed
mountaintop formed a lake bed independent
clause. That is still hot dependent clause.
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• I have always looked forward to my summer
  vacations.

Simple Sentence I have always looked forward to
my summer vacations independent clause.
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• Noorie plays basketball on Saturdays, and she
  goes fishing on Sundays.

Compound sentence Noorie plays basketball on
Saturdays independent clause. And
coordinating conjunction She goes fishing on
Sundays independent clause.
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The Run-On Sentence
A run-on sentence is not necessarily a very long
sentence, so long that it seems grammatically
incorrect. You can have a very short run-on
sentence. A run-on sentence is a compound or
compound-complex sentence that is not properly
connected. In other words, it occurs when there
is no coordinating conjunction or
semi-colon/colon/dash connecting the independent
clauses or when the connecting elements are in
the wrong part of the sentence.
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Example

• I didnt go to class today, I was feeling ill.

In the above example, the comma (,) is too weak
to connect the two independent clauses. This is
called a comma splice, a type of run-on sentence.
To correct this sentence, you would either
replace the comma with a semi-colon or make the
second clause dependent by adding the
subordinating conjunction because -- I didnt go
to class today because I was feeling ill.
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Another Example

• I need a break I need a long vacation.

This is also a run-on sentence. In this example,
there is nothing connecting the two independent
clauses, no punctuation (not even a comma) or
coordinating conjunction. This is called a fused
sentence, another type of run-on sentence.
You can fix this by placing a semi-colon between
the clauses or forming two separate sentences by
inserting a period instead.
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The Sentence Fragment
A sentence fragment consists of one or all of the
following
Dependent clause
Phrase
Word
In other words, if the sentence does not contain
at least one independent clause, it is a fragment.
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Fragment Examples

• Because I was quite happy.

This is a fragment It has only one dependent
clause.

• The boy with the round face.

This is also a fragment It consists of only a
phrase(s).

• Time.

This sentence contains only a word, therefore
making it a sentence fragment.
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Lets try another exercise
Identify the following as sentence fragments or
run-ons

• Walking in the park when I was a kid.

• I love work, I love school, I love people, I
  love life!

• I just didnt want to go to the party I knew
  better than to go on a school night.

• Okay!

• She went to the mall, and he went to the movies,
  we workaholics went to work.

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Answers

• Walking in the park when I was a kid.

Sentence Fragment It consists of a participle
phrase and a dependent clause. There is no
independent clause.

• I love work, I love school, I love people, I
  love life!

Run-on sentence It contains three independent
clauses that are connected only by commas, which
are too weak to join independent clauses to one
another.
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• I just didnt want to go to the party I knew
  better than to go on a school night.

Run-on sentence Two independent clauses
connected by nothing.

• Okay!

Sentence fragment It only contains one word and
has no independent clause.

• She went to the mall, and he went to the movies,
  we workaholics went to work.

Run-on sentence While the first two independent
clauses are properly connected, the last one is
dangling at the end. The and should connect the
last two independent clauses.
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Well done!
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Examples borrowed from
Troyka, Lynn Quitman. Simon Schuster Handbook
for Writers. New Jersey Prentice Hall, 1999.