Writing in Sentences

sentence main clause conjunction

a finite verb capital compound
exclamation mark finite complex
subordinate simple sentence over- complicate

A sentence……….. is a group of words making complete unit of sense; it contains a finite………..

verb and a subject of this verb; all sentences contains at least one main clause……….. For
example: ‘ You turn left at the crossroads.’ A sentence that contains just one statement like this
one is called a simple sentence………….. Some sentences, however, consists of two main ideas,
joined by a conjunction, for example: “ You turn left at the crossroads and then carry on for
another 100 meters.” This type of sentence is known as a compound………. Sentence. Finally,
some sentences contain a mixture of main and subordinate………. clauses. A subordinate clause,
such as that indicated in italics in the example that follows, is a group of words, containing a
verb, which is dependent on the main clause for its full meaning to be clear. For example: ‘ You
turn left at the crossroads and then carry on down for another 100 meters where you will find a
signpost directing you to the bus station which is in Garden Square facing the post office.’ This
is known as a complex…….. sentence.

A sentence starts with a capital………. letter. The end of a sentence is indicated by a full stop( or
a question mark or exclamation mark………. ). For example: “ You turn left at the crossroads. The
crossroads are very busy so you should watch the traffic carefully.” There are two distinct
statements made in this piece of writing. Each has a different subject and each contains a main
clause with a finite verb. The only punctuation stop which has sufficient force to separate
two such distinct statement is a full stop.
Most skillful writers will use a mixture of all three sentence types in their work and, in order to
achieve good marks for the writing tasks in the examination, it is important to show that you ,
too, can confidently vary your sentences are most effective for conveying involved and
complicated ideas. When you are writing something which is intended to convey
straightforward information or instructions, it is best not to over-complicate ……….. your
sentence structure.