Sentence Structure

Exercise

• You will not become a better writer simply by learning to name the different types of sentences, but you will develop a more sophisticated understanding of how language works.

• If you would like to make certain that you

understand how to identify a simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, or a compound-complex sentences, you may try this simple exercise.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, but Toronto is the capital of Ontario.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound- Complex Sentence

Answer

• Compound Sentence.

• Explanation: This is a compound sentence, because it contains two independent clauses joined by the Co-ordinating conjunction “and."

Democracy is a noble goal; it is important, however, to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer

• Compound Sentence.

• Explanation: This is a special type of compound sentence, where the two independent clauses -- "democracy is a noble goal" and "it is important, however, to protect the minority ..." are joined by a semicolon instead of a co-ordinating conjunction.

I do not own a Porsche.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer

• Simple Sentence

• Explanation: This is a simple sentence, containing only one independent clause.

Call your father as soon as you arrive in Antigonish.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer

• Complex Sentence.

• Explanation: This is a complex sentence because it contains the dependent clause "as soon as you arrive in Antigonish." If that information were in a phrase instead of a clause, however, the sentence would be a simple sentence: Call you father upon your arrival in Antigonish.

I ate the sushi and left the restaurant.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer

• Simple Sentence. • Explanation: This is a simple sentence. It is

easy to see, however, why someone might think that this is a compound sentence, since it contains the co-ordinating conjunction "and"; however, the conjunction actually joins two predicates-- "ate the sushi" and "left the restaurant" -- within a single clause. The clue that you are dealing with a compound predicate rather than a compound subjects the fact that there is only one subject, "I."

Unless my girlfriend postpones her visit from Calgary, I will not have time to study for my exam.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer

• Complex Sentence

• Explanation: This is a complex sentence, containing the independent clause "I will not have time to study for my exam" and the dependent clause "unless my girlfriend postpones her visit from Calgary." Note the subordinating conjunction "unless" at the beginning of the dependent clause.

Susanne wanted to be here, but she cannot come because her car is in the shop.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer

• Compound-Complex Sentence • Explanation: This is a compound-complex

sentence. First, it contains two independent clauses -- "Suzanne wanted to be here" and "she cannot come because her car is in the shop" -- joined by the co-ordinating conjunction "but"; the second independent clause, however, contains the dependent clause "because her car is in the shop," making the sentence complex as well as compound.

The football game was cancelled because it was raining.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer

• Complex Sentence

• Explanation: This is a complex sentence since it contains the dependent clause "because it was raining."

The football game was cancelled because of the rain.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-Complex Sentence

Answer

• Simple Sentence.

• Explanation: This is a simple sentence: since it does not have a predicate, "because of the rain" is a phrase rather than a clause.

When the train arrives and if Ms. Miller is on it, she will be served with a subpoena.

• Simple Sentence

• Compound Sentence

• Complex Sentence

• Compound-complex Sentence

Answer

• Complex Sentence • Explanation: This is a complex sentence. At

first glance, it might look like a compound-complex sentence because of the conjunction "and" joining the two dependent clauses "when the train arrives" and "if Ms. Miller is on it"; however, there is only one independent clause in the sentence, so it cannot be compound.

SIMPLE SENTENCE• A simple sentence, also called an independent

clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought.

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. Coordinators are always preceded by a comma.

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.

Compound- COMPLEX SENTENCES• Sentences containing adjective clauses (or

dependent clauses) are also complex because they contain an independent clause and a dependent clause.

Independent clause

• main clause: a clause in a complex sentence that can stand alone.

• A clause that can be used alone as a sentence and that is not dependent on any other grammatical construction.

Dependent clause• subordinate clause: a clause in a complex

sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and that functions within the sentence as a noun or adjective or adverb

• a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence and begins with a conjunction such as after, although, as, as if, as though, because, before,= if , since, though, unless, until, whenever, where, wherever, or while.

Predicate• make the (grammatical) predicate in a

proposition; "The predicate `dog' is predicated of the subject `Fido' in the sentence `Fido is a dog'"

• The part of the sentence (or clause) which states something about the subject; A statement that may be true or false depending on the values of its variables; An operator or function that returns either true or false; To announce or assert publicly; To state, assert; To suppose, assume; to ...