Types of Sentences

Developed by Jasveen Bhasin

English Writing Tutor

University Learning Center

AC I 160 / PC 247

Florida International University

The Simple Sentence

A simple sentence has the following structure:

Subject + Verb

In other words, a simple sentence consists of 1

independent clause, which contains one subject and

at least one verb.

= 1 Independent Clause

= Simple Sentence

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.

A dependent clause may also contain a

subject and verb, but a simple sentence

only consists of one independent clause.

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.

Complicated but Still Simple

The Compound Sentence A compound sentence has the following

structure: Independent Clause + Coordinating Conjunction +

Independent Clause

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.

= Compound Sentence

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Let’s try an exercise

Identify the following types of sentences:

• 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.

• Living in Spain was one of the best experiences that

Carol had during college.

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

•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.

•I have always looked forward to my summer

vacations.

Simple Sentence:

I have always looked forward to my summer vacations =

independent clause.

• 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.

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.

Example

• I didn’t 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 didn’t go to class today because I was feeling ill.

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.

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.

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.

Let’s try another exercise

• Walking in the park when I was a kid.

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

• I just didn’t 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.

Identify the following as sentence fragments or run-ons:

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.

• I just didn’t 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.

Well done!

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Examples borrowed from:

Troyka, Lynn Quitman. Simon & Schuster Handbook

for Writers. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999.