A sentence is a group of words with a subject and a predicate that express a complete thought.
Sentences can be classified by for basic structures of a sentence.
- simple
- compound
- complex
- compound-complex
SIMPLE SENTENCES
A simple sentence consists of a single independent clause.
It must contain a subject and a verb.
It may contain complements, modifiers and phrases, etc, but as long as you have ONE subject and ONE verb it’s classified as a simple sentence.
It does not contain any subordinate clauses.
Example:
- The siren sounded.
(siren=SUBJECT, sounded=VERB)
- A written history dating back to 600 B.C. was found in a cave near Jerusalem.
(This is longer, but it’s still a simple sentence. A written history dating back to 600 B.C. = SUBJECT, was found in a cave near Jerusalem = PREDICATE, was found= SIMPLE PREDICATE)
COMPOUND SENTENCES
Basically, there are two ore more simple sentences that are joined by a coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, or, yet, nor, for. That’s the case in most compound sentences.
A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses.
In most compound sentences they are joined by a comma and one of the coordinating conjunctions.
Examples:
- Israel is a democratic republic, and it has a parliament-cabinet form of government.
(Israel and it are the SUBJECTS, is and has are the VERBS. There is a comma and a COORDINATING CONJUNCTION- , and)
- The population of Israel is approximately 4,700,000, but only 8 percent of the people live in rural areas.
(The population of Israel= SUBJECT, is=VERB, and all together is approximately 4,700,000= PREDICATE, ,but = comma and COORDINATING CONJUNCTION, only 8 percent of the people= SUBJECT and percent = SIMPLE SUBJECT, live in rural areas= PREDICATE and live= SIMPLE PREDICATE)
COMPLEX SENTENCES
A complex sentence consists of one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
The independent clause is often called the main clause.
The main and the subordinate clause each have their own subjects and verbs.
Examples:
- When the fog lifted, we continued our trip.
(we continued our trip= INDEPENDENT CLAUSE or MAIN CLAUSE, When the fog lifted= DEPENDENT CLAUSE. Even though fog is the SUBJECT and lifted is the VERB, because when is a COORDINATING CONJUNCTION this clause is DEPENDENT. We continued is subject and verb.)
- The person who will speak last is my sister.
(The MAIN CLAUSE is broken by the SUBORDINATE CLAUSE. The person… is my sister = MAIN CLAUSE or INDEPENDENT CLAUSE, who will speak last = SUBORDINATE CLAUSE or DEPENDENT CLAUSE. It cannot stand alone.
COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES
A compound-complex sentence consists of two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses.
Examples:
- As he was leaving for school, Larry remembered to take his lunch, but he forget the report that he had finished the night before.
(Larry remembered to take his lunch and he forget the report are two INDEPENDENTS and ,but is the COORDINATING CONJUNCTION. Now the complex part, one SUBORDINATE CLAUSE, that he had finished the night before)
SENTENCE STRUCTURE: EXERCISES
- The area that is known as the Middle East stands at the crossroads of three continents.
(INDEPENDENT CLAUSE = The area … stands at the crossroads of three continents, SUBORDINATE CLAUSE = that is known as the Middle East. It cannot stand alone. So, this is a complex sentence.)
- Since the ancient times, it has connected major trade routes over land and sea.
(it is the SUBJECT and has connected is the VERB. This is a simple sentence, only one subject and one verb.)
- Some of the ideas we use today, but others have been lost.
(We is a SUBJECT, use is the VERB, and some is the DIRECT OBJECT. We’ve got a comma and a COORDINATING CONJUNCTION. Others is our SUBJECT and have been is the VERB. This is a compound sentence.)
