Methods for

Building

Sentences

Sentence Types:

1. Simple Sentence

2. Compound Sentence

3. Complex Sentence

4. Complex-Compound Sentence

5. Sentence with a Phrase

The Simple Sentence

Ralph forgot to balance his checkbook.

simple sentence + simple sentence=

The Compound Sentence

Ralph forgot to balance his checkbook.His rent check bounced.

;joiningword

The Compound Sentence

Ralph forgot to balance his checkbook,__ his rent check bounced.so

The Complex Sentence

The police raided the house.The party ended.

Add aDependentWord

The Complex Sentence

_____ the police raided the house, the party ended.

After

The Complex Sentence

My parents divorced in 1995.My parents got remarried in 2002.

Add a“Hidden”DependentWord

The Complex Sentence

My parents,who divorced in 1995, got remarried in 2002.

Practice 1: Use a hidden dependent word

Jack is allergic to shellfish.Jack never eats oysters.

thatwhichwhowhenwhere

Jack, who is allergic to shellfish,never eats oysters.

The truck was full of oranges.The truck turned over on the

freeway.

thatwhichwhowhenwhere

The truck that was full of oranges,turned over on the freeway.

My parents were married in thechurch.

The church burned down.

thatwhichwhowhenwhere

The church where my parentswere married burned down.

Complex Sentences:

Compound Sentences:

and / or but / yetso / fornor

;

since / because althoughbefore / afterwhen / whileif / even ifuntil / unless

that / whichwho/when/wherehow / why

The Complex-Compound Sentence

When my sister parked the car,she forgot to use the parkingbrake, so the car rolled down the driveway.

My sister parked the car.She forgot to use the parking brake.The car rolled own the driveway.

The old cat developed cancer.The vet recommended putting it down.The owner insisted on keeping it alive.

After the old cat developed cancer, thevet recommended putting it down,but the owner insisted on keeping italive.

The running shoes cost ninety dollars.I decided to wait for a sale.My father offered to buy them for my

birthday.

Since the running shoes cost ninety dollars,I decided to wait for a sale, but my

father offered to buy them for mybirthday.

Sentence Types:

1. Simple Sentence

2. Compound Sentence

3. Complex Sentence

4. Complex-Compound Sentence

5. Sentence with a Phrase

Practice 2:Start the sentence with a phrase

-prepositional phrase

-”-ly” word (conjunctive adverb)

-”-ing” phrase (present participle)

-”to” phrase (infinitive phrase)

-”-ed” phrase (past participle)

Start with an ”ing” phrase.

My dog howls at the moon.My dog wakes up all the neighbors.

Howling at the moon, my dog wakes

up all the neighbors.

Start with an ”ing” phrase.

The rocket exploded on take-off.The rocket shattered into a million

pieces.

Exploding on take-off, the rocket

shattered into a million pieces.

Start with an ”ed” phrase.

The notice was posted on the class-room door.

The notice was read by all the students.

Posted on the classroom door, the

notice was read by all the students.

Start with an ”ed” phrase.

Your luggage must be checked by asecurity guard.

Your luggage can be carried on board.

Checked by a security guard, your

luggage can be carried on board.

Start with an ”ed” phrase.

The meat was left on the counter.The meat spoiled.

Left on the counter,the meat spoiled.

Start with a ”to” phrase.

Brad Pitt needed to gain weight for the film.

He ate a lot of carbohydrates.

To gain weight for the film, Brad Pitt

ate a lot of carbohydrates.

Start with a ”to” phrase.

Ms. Bell wanted to encouragestudents to enter the contest.

She offered a cash prize.

To encourage students to enter thecontest, Ms. Bell offered

a cash prize.

Start with an “-ly” word.

Mary announced that she would notlet anyone use her car.

She was selfish.

Selfishly, Mary announced that shewould not let anyone use her

car.

Start with an “-ly” word.

The nuns were not robbed whenthey left the motel door unlocked.

They were lucky.

Luckily, the nuns were not robbed

when they left the motel door

unlocked.

Start with an “-ly” word.

John missed his mother’s birthdayand Mother’s Day.

He was thoughtless.

Thoughtlessly, John missed his mother’s birthday and Mother’s Day.

Start with a Prepositional Phrase

My family takes vacations. We go in the summer.We stay in Las Vegas.

In the summer, my family takes

vacations in Las Vegas.

Agnes practices the piano.

She practices at 6:00 PM.

She practices for one hour.

At 6:00 PM, Agnes practices the

piano for one hour.

My sister works from midnightto morning.

She works in a coffee shop.

She works as a waitress.

From midnight to morning, m y sisterworks as a waitress in acoffee shop.