Four sentence structures

[jgraney8]

I am posting this explanation because there seems to be some confusion about sentence structures, especially between complex and compound sentences. I know this is kind of pedantic and may be simplistic. If you find it so, please skip it. If some part or parts are unclear, please let me know. If this is useless, please let me know.

Four English sentence structures

English has four basic sentence structures for declarative sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

Simple Sentence

The simple sentence consists of an independent clause. An independent clause expresses a single idea. It must have a subject and a verb.

Examples of simple sentences are

• Joe slept.
  Joe slept in the bedroom.
  Joe and Carl ate breakfast.
  At a table in the kitchen, Joe and his mother ate ice cream and watched the baseball game.

Compound Sentence

A compound sentence joins two independent clauses into one sentence. The combination can be done with a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, for, nor, yet), with a semicolon, or with a conjuctive adverb (therefore, consequently, moreover, furthermore, however, also, as a result are some examples).

Examples of compound sentences are

• Joe ate breakfast, and Carl skipped breakfast.
  Joe ate breakfast; Carl skipped breakfast.
  Joe ate breakfast; however, Carl skipped breakfast.

Complex Sentence

A complex sentence joins an independent clause with a dependent clause. A dependent clause adds information to the independent clause. It may begin with a subordinating conjunction such as before, although, because, if, unless, since.

Examples of complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions are

• I came to visit because I heard you are sick.
  Although it was raining, they decided to play the football game.
  Since you asked, I will be going to the dance alone.

Another kind of dependent clause that can be used in a complex sentence is the adjective clause which begins with a group of words that include who, which, that, whose and whomever.

Examples of complex sentences with adjective clauses are

• The boy who won the prize lives on our block.
  The car drove through the light that was red.

Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence combines at minimum two independent clauses and one dependent clause.

Examples of compound-complex sentences are

• Before he could go home from the hospital, my brother needed to complete another test, and he needed to wait for the nurse to bring a wheelchair.
  The doctor visited my brother's room, and she told him that he could go home soon.

If you have read this far, thank you for your patience.

[a9436]

If only my school English teachers had explained it like this.
Did you write this yourself or is it from a textbook? If the former, you have a talent for clear explanation, and if the latter, I need to buy the book
Thank you very much in any case.

[jgraney8]

If only my school English teachers had explained it like this.
Did you write this yourself or is it from a textbook? If the former, you have a talent for clear explanation, and if the latter, I need to buy the book
Thank you very much in any case.

I wrote it myself. I recently retired from teaching English as a second language. I am happy you found it useful.

[Alice Thokchom]

This is very useful. You have explained it very clearly and without complicating it. Thank you.

[jgraney8]

This is very useful. You have explained it very clearly and without complicating it. Thank you.

You are quite welcome. I am glad you found it useful.

[Jude Uwaje]

Nice write up. This is very educating. The examples made the explanation much easier to grasp.

[jgraney8]

Nice write up. This is very educating. The examples made the explanation much easier to grasp.

Thank you. I am happy you have found it useful.