1 UNIT 1: ENGLISH SENTENCE TYPES

Objectives
“At the end of the lesson”, students can
- Learn the definitions, structures of English sentences
- Distinguish English sentences of different types
- Write meaningful sentences of variety
- Write meaningful sentences about their life
Definition of a sentence

Sentences in English are structurally categorised into four main types: simple,
compound, complex, and compound-complex.

1.1 Simple sentences

1.1.1 Defintion of a simple sentence

“A simple sentence” consists of an independent clause which must have “one subject-
verb pair”.
1. “The complete subject says who or what does or did something or who or what
exists or existed in a particular way”.
Vietnam soccer team won the 2019 AFC championship.
Quang Hai is a famous Vietnamese footballer.
2. “The subject of a simple sentence
 is a noun or pronoun.”
 can be a form of an action word.
 will never be a word in a prepositional phrase.
 is compound when it is made up of two or more words.
Example:
Linh and Nga save 5000VND a year with grocery coupons.
Exercise and proper diet are important.
The right attitude and a winning personality will get you the job.
3. The verb of a simple sentence
 is an action verb if it shows activity, thought, or a process.
 is a linking verb if it connects the subject to something that renames or
describes that subject.
 “can be made up of an action verb or a linking verb with a helping verb”
 is compound when two or more verbs appear for the same subject

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 Example:
1 verb: Mrs Jones answered the phone.
2 verbs: Mrs Jones answered the phone and wrote a message.
3 verbs: Mrs Jones answered the phone, wrote a message, and gave it to
the manager.

1.1.2 Simple Sentence Practice

ACTIVITY 1: Identifying Subjects, Verbs in Simple Sentences
“Put one line under the subject and two lines under the verb in each sentence.
The first sentence is already done as an example.”
1. Most grandparents spend an average of $100 per grandchild for a holiday gift.
2. People in America like to send Christmas cards in addition to gifts.
3. The Christmas card was first created in England in 1842.
4. More than three billion Christmas cards are sent annually in the United States
alone.
5. A greater number of diamond rings are typically purchased at Christmas than at
any other time.
6. Many people also like to sing Christmas carols as part of their holiday
celebration.
7. The tradition of Christmas carolling is an old English custom.
8. “This custom was called Wassailing and toasted neighbors to wish them a long
life”.
9. Christmas trees, for many, are also an important part of the holiday tradition.
10. People in the United States buy and put up millions of “real Christmas trees
each year”.
ACTIVITY 2: Completing simple sentences in context
Add the second verb phrase to the original sentence to form a longer sentence.
The first one has been done for you.
1. The newspaper advertisement misrepresented the product, and………………...
The newspaper advertisement misinterpresented the product, and created
confusion.
2. Her morning run begins promptly at seven o’clock, and……………………..
3. The supermarket melons smell sweet, and ……………………………….…….
4. The salesperson explained the car’s features, and…………………………...
5. Karen studied her chemistry text, and…………………………………....
6. Carefully, I selected the most beautiful flowers, and………………………..

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ACTIVITY 3: Student Writing
Write ten simple sentences on your own paper. Write about you and your
family.
Peer Editing
Exchange papers from the above activity. Read your partner’s sentences.
Then use Peer Editing Sheet 1 to make comments about the writing.

1.2 Compound Sentences

1.2.1 Defintion of a compound sentence?

“A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses and no subordinate
clauses. These independent clauses may be joined by a (coordinating) conjunction, a
conjunctive adverb, or a semicolon.”
Combination Method 1: Compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions
“Independent clauses of a compound sentence can be joined with coordinators.”
“There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English”: “and,” “but,” “or,” “so,”
“yet”, “nor”, and “for
An easy way to remember the coordinating conjunctions is the mnemonic device FAN BOYS.
Coordinating Meaning Example
conjunctions
for To show the reason Japanese people have the longer
life expectancy than any other
people, for their diet is extremely
healthy.

and To show additional Judy loves to surf, and she goes

information to the beach every weekend.

nor “and not”. Many Americans do not eat a

To join two equal negative
independent clauses.
or To show options
well-balanced ediet, nor do they get
sufficient exercise.
Notice that the “nor” clause uses
question word order.
We can go to see a movie, or we can
rent one from the video store.

so To show result My car broke down, so I took it

to my mechanic.

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yet To demonstrate an “Many Japanese men smoke, yet the
unexpected contrast to the Japanese have long life
information mentioned expectancies.”
before.

Combination Method 2: Compound sentences with conjunctive adverbs

“The independent clauses of a compound sentence can also be joined by a
conjunctive adverb such as furthermore, however, otherwise, therefore. The
punctuation of conjunctive adverbs is special: use a semicolon “;” after the first clause
and a comma “,” after the conjunctive adverb.”
“Students must take the final exam; otherwise, they will receive a grade of
Incomplete”
Conjunctive Meanings Examples
adverbs
however Show The War in Vietnam is over; however/ nevertheless/
nevertheless contrast nonetheless, some people will not forget it.
nonetheless
furthermore Mean “ in This Toyota dealership offers a variety of models;
moreover addition” furthermore/ moreover, it offers an excellent buyer-
protection plan.
therefore Mean “ as a Daylight savings time begins tonight;
thus result” therefore/thus/consequently,we lose an hour of
consequently sleep.
Corona Virus 19 Pandamic has broken out;
therefore/thus/consequently, schools will be closed
down nationwide.
meanwhile Mean “ at the I left for HoaBinh at noon; meanwhile,my husband
same time” was on his way to Da Nang
otherwise Indicate an You must study your Philosophy notes; otherwise,
alternative you will not pass the test.
instead Mean “ in She did not sleep last night; instead, she thought
place of” about all her family problems.
.
Combination Method 3: “Compound sentences with semicolons”
“The independent clauses in a compound sentence may also be joined by a
semicolon only. This kind of sentence occurs when the two independent clauses are
closely related.”

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  His elder sister studies law; his younger sister studies finances.
 “Poland was the first Eastern bloc country to turn away from
communism; others soon followed.”

1.2.2 Compound Sentence Practice

ACTIVITY 4: Identifying independent clauses in compound sentences
In the sentences below, place brackets around each independent clause. Before
each sentence, write the number of independent clauses in the sentence. The first
one is already done as an example.
1. ………2……….[Honeymoons are commonplace], but [most newlyweds do not
know the origin of this common tradition].
2. ……………….In very ancient times, a bridegroom had to “capture” his bride.
3. ……………….He would capture her, and then he would hide her.
4. ……………….The bride’s relatives looked for her, or the whole tribe tried to
find her.
5. ……………….This custom seems crude now, but the modern honeymoon
developed from it.
6. ……………….Some people today do not have honeymoons, but many people
still do.
7. ……………….Other people get married and postpone the honeymoon for
months after the marriage.
8. ……………….These people wait, and they save money for their honeymoon
trip.
9. ……………….Both weddings and honeymoons are often less traditional these
days.
10. ……………….Still, many people go on honeymoons, for it is the traditional
thing to do.
11. ……………….The new bride and groom see the honeymoon as a holiday and a
chance to relax after the wedding.
ACTIVITY 5: Writing compound sentences with coordinators
Read these sentences about the community centre. In each item, add another simple
sentence after the conjunction to make a compound sentence. Think about the meaning
of the coordinating conjunction. The first one has been done for you.
1. The community centre is located in the
middle of town, and it is a popular meeting place.
2. It is a large meeting hall,
but……………………………………………

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3. People of all ages go there regularly,
and………………………………
4. The community centre is getting old,
so……………………… ……….
5. Town leaders can try to raise taxes to fix up
the centre, or……………...
6. Everyone hopes that the centre will stay
around forever, but…………

ACTIVITY 6: Combing sentences with conjunctive adverbs

Use a semicolon, logical conjunctive adverb, and a comma to join each pair of
sentences below into one sentence. The first one has been done for you.
1. Many students often wait until the last minutes to write their papers. They do
not do their best work.
Many students often wait until the last minutes to write their papers; therefore,
they do not do their best work.
2. Many schools no longer group students by ability. They do not group students
by age.
3. High-impact aerobics is no longer considered safe. Most aerobics classes are
now low-impact workouts.
4. You must return the library books by Thursday. You will pay a fine.
5. The shingles on the house are old and worn. The roof is leaking.
6. These tires have never been rotated. They are wearing unevenly.

ACTIVITY 7: Writing compound sentences with conjunctive adverbs

Fill in the blanks with independent clauses.
1. The dog looked harmless; however, ……………………………………………
2. My new car gets excellent gas mileage; nevertheless, ………………………….
3. You must turn off the electricity before installing the new ceiling fan;
otherwise……………………………………………………………………….
4. Trash collectors remain on strike for the second day; meanwhile,……………..
5. Chi Mai has the highest grade point average in the class; furthermore,………
6. More than half of the students have the flu; therefore, …………………………
7. The rain have flooded the main roads; thus, …………………………………..
8. Sue’s motorbike was damaged in an accident on Square street;
consequently……………………………………………………………………..

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 9. Vietnamese are becoming more concerned about what they eat; moreover,
…………
10. You should not take a taxi to the city centre; instead, …………………………

ACTIVITY 8: Student Writing

Write five to ten compound sentences on your own paper. Write about job or hobby of
a person in your family.
Be sure the conjunctions join independent clauses, and remember to use a comma
before each conjunction.

1.3 Complex Sentences

1.3.1 Definition of a complex sentence?

“A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause.
These clauses of a complex sentence are joined by a subordinate conjunction or
relative pronoun.”
The dependent clause
“The dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand as a sentence
because it lacks completeness.”
Dependent clause: when the whistle blew
Dependent clause: after the music stopped
Dependent clause: since my leg hurts
Combination Method 1: Complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions
Logical Relationship Subordinators Examples
Contrast/Concession “although, though, Although/Though/Even though
while, even though, the English exam was difficult,
whereas, in spite of the every student passed.
fact that, despite the fact In spite of/ Despite the difficult
that" English exam, every student
passed.
In spite of/ Despite the fact that
the English exam was difficult,
every student passed.
My eldest sister is a dentist while
my youngest brother is a general
doctor.
Cause/ Reason because, as, since He drank up the water bottle
because/ since/ as he was thirsty.

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Result so/such … that
Purpose in order that (in order
to), so that
Condition if, if only, supposing, If it rains tomorrow, I will stay
provided (that), unless, home.
on the condition that, I will go to the park even if it rains
whenever, wherever tomorrow.
Time/Sequence when, while, until/till, After they had eaten out at a fancy
whenever, after, before, restaurant, they went to a live
now that, by the time concert.
that, as soon as, since, They had eaten out at a fancy
once, as restaurant before they went to a
live concert.
She will not phone me until she
finishes writing the report.
WhileI was cooking, my husband
was mopping the floor.
As soon as I had left the office, it
started to rain.

Place where, wherever, They haven’t decided where they

should go this summer holiday.
Comparison / whereas / as if Playing football is the most
Similarity/Contrast popular past time for boys
whereas doing craft is enjoyed by
greater number of girls.

Combination Method 2: Relative Pronouns

“In the second method of subordination, a dependent clause called a relative clause
begins with a relative pronoun (who, whose, which, that) and is joined with an
independent clause.”
The car, which has a hundred thousand miles on it, needs new tires.
If the relative clause is necessary for identifying who or what is referred to, do not set
it off with commas.
The firefighter who saved the child was honored by the press.

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If the relative clause is not necessary for identifying who or what is referred to, set it
off with commas.
The captain of the firefighters, who saved the child, was honored by the press.

1.3.2 Complex Sentence Pratice

ACTIVITY 9: Identifying subordinate clauses
Read the sentences about finding a job after graduating from college. Underline the
subordinate clause and circle the subordinating conjunction. The first one is already
done as an example.

1. “Whenever Helen looks for a new job, she gets nervous.

2. Since Helen is a university graduate, she feels confident about her academic
background.
3. She often felt nervous and failed to make a great first impression because she lacked
interviewing experience.
4. Although she scheduled many interviews, she was not offered a job at first.
5. While many people in Helen’s position would have ended their job search
immediately, Helen made the decision to get help from a personal coach.
6. Helen was also talking to friends about possible job openings in their companies
while she was training.
7. After she successfully finished her interview training, Helen was finally confident in
her ability to interview for a job.”

ACTIVITY 10: Adding subordinating conjunctions

Fill in the blank in each sentence with a logical subordinating conjunction.
Example:
……When………. Harvard’s football team played Carlisle Institute’s team in
1908, the coaches of both teams used sneaky tactics.
1. The coach of Harvard was Percy Haughton, ……………………..the coach of
Carlisle was “Pop”Warner.
2. Warner had used a sneaky trick…………………..he played Syracuse the week
before.
3. …………………….he wanted to outsmart Syracuse Warner had pads sewn into
his player’s jerseys.
4. ……………………the pads were the same size, shape, and color as a football,
the opposing team had trouble determining which player had the ball.

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 5. Warner got away with his scheme…………………the pads were not against
the rules.
6. ………………..he knew Warner would try the kick again, Coach Haughton
devised his own strategy.
7. …………………….Warner and Haughton met on the field to pick the game
football, Warner reaced into his bag and pulled one out.
8. He had dyed all the footballs red, to match his team’s
jerseys………………………..the game was to begin.
9. ……………………they had remarkable vision or supernatural powers,
Carlisle’s players would not be aable to tell who had the ball.
10. ………………….it was not against the rules, the red balls gave Harvard an
unfair advantage, allowing them to win.

ACTIVITY 11: Writing complex sentences in contexts

Add a logical independent clause to each of the following dependent clauses.
Punctuate the sentence correctly. The first one has already been done as an
example.
1. …………………………………………………….until he pays his tuition fees.
He will not be admitted to the Academic Writing Course until he pays his tuition
fees.
2. ………………………………………………………unless he takes a total of
one hundred units.
3. It is the fact that
4. ……………………………………who is chair of the Linguistics Department.
5. Since he had to look for a part-time job
6. ……………………………………………..if he wants to get to school on time.
7. …………………………….whether he should take Discourse Critical Analysis.
8. ………………………………whom he met at the social club meeting last month.
9. ……………………………………………………when he left his country.
10. …………………………………………….that his university advisor
recommends.
ACTIVITY 12: Combining sentences with relative pronouns
“Join each pair of sentences into one sentence by changing the second sentence to a
relative clause beginning with who, whose, which, or that. You will need to eliminate
one or more words in the second sentence. Remember that who and whose refer to
people, which refers to things and animals, and that refers to people and things.”
1. Roberto is sure to win an art scholarship. Roberto is a talented portrait artist.
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 2. The medicine is very expensive. Aunt Helen needs the medicine.
3. The blue jays will attack anyone in the yard. The blue jays are very territorial.
4. This blazer is the wrong colour for you. The blazer is inexpensive.
5. Marni wants to be a graphic artist. Marni is Gregory’s best friend.
6. The ambulance weaved through traffic. The traffic had come to a halt.
7. The baseball smashed through the living room window. The window had just
been replaced.
8. Daylight savings time means that people lose an hour of sleep. Daylight savings
time is meant to save energy.
9. Professor Yoshida is an excellent chemistry teacher. Professor Yoshida’s
lectures are never boring.
10. This is the Terry McMillan book. It is the book I want you to read.
11. Dave Barry is my favourite humourist. Dave Barry writes for the Miami Herald.
12. I lost my grandmother’s watch. My grandmother received the watch at her
retirement party.
13. The man looks suspicious to me. The man is sitting on the park bench.
14. I am very proud of the sweater. I knitted the sweater myself.
15. Corey and Madeline bought a car. The car has every available option.

ACTIVITY 13: Student Writing

Write six to twelve sentences on your own paper. Write about an important day or time
in your life. Combine clauses with subordinating conjunctions.
Use at least three complex sentences with subordinators.
Peer editing
Exchange papers from the above activity. Read your partner’s sentences.
Then use Peer Editing Sheet 3 to make comments about the writing.

1.4 Compound-Complex Sentences

1.4.1 Definition of a compound-complex sentence

A compound-complex sentence has two or more independent clauses and at least
one subordinate clause. 
The proposal that we wrote was accepted, and we started the project.
                Subordinator                      Conjunction        

1.4.2 Compound-Complex Sentence Practice

ACTIVITY 14: Transform compound sentences into compound-complex
sentences

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Read the compound sentences about a trip. Use the information in parentheses to
create and insert adjective clauses in the correct places.
Katie had a terrible day at work, so she decided to visit her close friend. (her friend
lived by the sea.)
_____________________________________________________________________
The road was under construction, but it was not busy. (the road led to the beach.)
_____________________________________________________________________
The 160- kilometer trip lasted less than three hours, and it was an easy drive. (Katie
took the trip.)
_____________________________________________________________________
Katie arrived at dinner time, and her friend Maria was very happy to see her.
_____________________________________________________________________
The dinner was ready, and they immediately began to eat. (Maria made the dinner.)
_____________________________________________________________________
After the meal, Katie and Maria took walk along the beach, and they talked about
things. (the things made them stressed.)
_____________________________________________________________________
Maria offered to take Katie to a cinema for a moive, or they could go to a nightclub.
(the nightclub opened recently.)
_____________________________________________________________________
Katie and Maria decided to stay home, but they talked for hours and hours.
_____________________________________________________________________
This trip was very relaxing for Katie and she hoped to visit Maria again. (the trip was
planned at the last minute.)
_____________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 15: Original Student Writing

Write six to twelve sentences on your own paper. Write about a family member or a
close friend of yours.
Use at least three compound- complex sentences which have relative pronouns.

Peer editing
Exchange papers from the above activity. Read your partner’s sentences.
Then use Peer Editing Sheet 4 to make comments about the writing.

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