Simple, Compound, Compound-Complex

Sentence Types:
Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex

Simple Sentences
 A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb.

 It expresses a single complete thought that can stand on its own.
Examples:
1. The baby cried for food. ^There is a subject and a verb that expresses a complete
thought.
2. Professor Maple’s intelligent students completed and turned in their homework.
^ A simple sentence does not necessarily have to be short. It can have adjectives. In this
case, there are two verbs “completed” and “turned in.” However, the sentence expresses
one complete thought and therefore is a simple sentence.
3. Megan and Ron ate too much and felt sick.
^Although there are two subjects and two verbs, it is still a simple sentence because both
verbs share the same subjects and express one complete thought.
Compound Sentences
 A compound sentence has two independent clauses. An independent clause is a part of a sentence
that can stand alone because it contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.
 Basically, a compound contains two simple sentences.
 These independent clauses are joined by a conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
Examples:
1. The shoplifter had stolen clothes, so he ran once he saw the police. ^Both sides of the
conjunction “so” are complete sentences. “The shoplifter had stolen clothes” can stand
alone and so can “he ran once he saw the police.” Therefore, this is a compound
sentence.
2. They spoke to him in Spanish, but he responded in English. ^This is also a compound
sentence that uses a conjunction to separate two individual clauses.
Complex Sentences
 A complex sentence is an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A

dependent clause either lacks a subject or a verb or has both a subject and a verb that does not
express a complete thought.
 A complex sentence always has a subordinator (as, because, since, after, although, when) or
relative pronouns (who, that, which).
Examples:
1. After eating lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, Tim went to the gym to exercise.
^ The independent clause is ‘Tim went to the gym to exercise.” The subordinating clause
before it is dependent on the main, independent clause. If one were to say “after eating
lunch at The Cheesecake Factory,” it would be an incomplete thought.
2. Opinionated women are given disadvantages in societies that privilege male
accomplishments
Compound-Complex Sentences
As the name suggests, a compound-complex sentence brings both of these sentence forms together.
That is, it contains at least two independent clauses (like a compound sentence) and at least one
dependent clause (like a complex sentence). For example:
 Erin loves her brother, and he loves her too because she pays his bills.
 The dog ran off when I chased him, but I didn't care.
 Though my mother says it doesn't matter, I am tall, and she is short.
Note that the dependent clause can be at the beginning, middle, or end of a compound-complex
sentence. No matter where it is placed, the punctuation follows the rules for both compound
sentences and complex sentences.
That means that you need to put a comma before the coordinating conjunction and, if applicable,
another comma after the dependent clause when it occurs at the beginning of the sentence.
See some additional examples to get a feel for how compound-complex sentences will help you add
detail to your writing:
 When I went to the store, my parents wanted me to pick up some milk, but I didn't have enough
money.
 Even if the child is hungry, he will never eat oatmeal, but he will always eat ice cream.
 The man was mean because he was lonely, but his attitude only made his situation worse.
 The dog needed a new leash, and he couldn't go for a walk until he had one.
 It is important to vote when the time comes, or you won't get a say in new laws.
THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH
There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb,
preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in
meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one
part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for
determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.
1. NOUN
 A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

man... Butte College... house... happiness
A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article (the, a, an), but
not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do not. Nouns can be singular
or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by adding 's. Nouns can function in different roles
within a sentence; for example, a noun can be a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject
complement, or object of a preposition.
The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
2. PRONOUN
 A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

She... we... they... it
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which
is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns are
further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things; possessive pronouns
indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns
introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.
3. VERB
 A verb expresses action or being.

jump... is... write... become
The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or more
helping verbs. ("She can sing." Sing is the main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb must agree with its
subject in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take different forms to express tense.
4. ADJECTIVE
 An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

pretty... old... blue... smart
An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers the question of
which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)
5. ADVERB
 An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

gently... extremely... carefully... well
An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. It usually
answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs
often end in -ly.
6. PREPOSITION
 A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another
word in the sentence.
by... with.... about... until
(by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the
sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost
always functions as an adjective or as an adverb. The following list includes the most common
prepositions:
7. CONJUNCTION
 A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.

and... but... or... while... because
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the elements
joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so,
yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because, although, while, since,
etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.
8. INTERJECTION
 An interjection is a word used to express emotion.

Oh!... Wow!... Oops!
An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation point.

Simple, Compound, Compound-Complex

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Simple, Compound, Compound-Complex

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Sentence Types:

Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex

 A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb.

 A complex sentence is an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A

 A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

 A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

 A verb expresses action or being.

 An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

 An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

 A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.

 An interjection is a word used to express emotion.

An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation point.

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