SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Sentence structure is determined by the number and

the types of clauses.
SIMPLE SENTENCE
A simple sentence has only ONE independent clause.

Betty lives down the street from me.

The cute little girl with the pretty red bow in her hair
lives down the street from me too.
SIMPLE SENTENCE WITH COMPOUND
PARTS
A simple sentence might have a compound
subject and/or a compound verb.
Betty and her family live down the street from me.
Betty lives down the street from me and walks with me
to school each day.
Betty and her brother walk to school but ride the bus
home.
COMPOUND SENTENCE
JOINED BY A COMMA AND A CONJUNCTION
A compound sentence has TWO (or more)
independent clauses.
Compound sentences can be joined in two ways.
One of those ways is with a comma and a
coordinating conjunction. A comma only
CANNOT be used with a compound sentence.
FANBOYS – the coordinating conjunctions that
can join a compound sentence:
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
Compound sentence with comma and
conjunction
EXAMPLES:
My sister lives in Louisiana, and my brother lives in
Texas.
The workbook pages are due tomorrow, but you can
not take your workbook home tonight.
You can come in early tomorrow morning, or you can
finish your work in homeroom.
COMPOUND SENTENCE WITH A
SEMICOLON
Another way to join a compound sentence is with a
semicolon(;).
Use a semicolon by itself, without a conjunction
following it.
Do not capitalize the first word of the second
independent clause.
Compound sentence with a semicolon (;)
EXAMPLES:
The boys are assigned the even numbered problems
for homework; the girls are to complete the odd
numbered problems.
Both Mary and Linda brought cookies for the class;
Mindy brought sandwiches.
COMPLEX SENTENCE
ADVERB CLAUSE
A complex sentence has one INDEPENDENT
clause and one SUBORDINATE clause.
One type of subordinate clause is an ADVERB
clause.
An adverb clause begins with a subordinating
conjunction.
Examples of subordinating conjunctions: before,
after, as if, although, because, since, while
Complex sentence with an adverb clause
EXAMPLES:
Mother ironed my clothes before she left for work
today.
(Notice there is not a comma in this sentence between
the two clauses.)
Before she left for work today, Mother ironed my
clothes.
(Notice there is a comma in this sentence between the
two clauses.)
More examples
Because it began to rain, we had to reschedule our
picnic.
Turn in your papers before you leave today.
COMPLEX SENTENCE
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
A complex sentence might also have an adjective
clause as the subordinating clause.
Adjective clauses begin with a relative pronoun – who,
whom, whose, which, what, that, whoever, whomever.
Adjective clauses
EXAMPLES:
The book that I bought yesterday cost $30.
Mrs. Kennedy is the teacher who will calculate total
AR points this year.
COMPOUND/COMPLEX SENTENCE
A compound/complex sentence has all the
characteristics of a compound sentence plus all the
characteristics of a complex sentence.
Compound-complex sentences
EXAMPLES:
Mary was invited to the party, but she could not attend
because she was planning a trip to her
grandparents’ house.
The cook book that I gave you has excellent recipes; I
have tried almost all of them myself.