Reviewing Sentence Structures
Jan went shopping and left her credit card at home.
(simple = one simple sentence with compound predicate)
Jan went shopping, and she left her credit card at home.
(compound = two simple sentences)
Jan went shopping and discovered that she left her credit card at home.
(complex = one main clause + one subordinate clause)
Jan went shopping, and she discovered that she left her credit card at home.
(compound-complex = two main clauses + (at least) one subordinate clause )
Main clause
Subordinate clause
Step one:
Ask yourself if you are looking at
one sentence
or
two sentences
You will automatically eliminate two of the
four choices.
Step two:
If you know you have only
one sentence … your choices are
simple (no subordinate clause present)
or
complex (subordinate clause present)
Look to see if you have a subordinate
clause!
Examples of Simple Sentence

 The Baylor Bears and Oklahoma Sooners played an
exciting game over the weekend.
 Taylor Swift won a top honor at the American Music
Awards last night.
 The twins wrestled on the floor and jumped off the
bunk beds.
Examples of Complex Sentences

 When she heard her name announced, Taylor
appeared surprised.
 After the final seconds elapsed on the game clock,
the fans stormed the field.
 It will be nice to see family and play games when the
Thanksgiving holiday arrives
Step three:
If you know you have two sentences …
your choices are
compound (no subordinate clause present)
or
compound-complex (subordinate clause
present)
Look to see if you have a subordinate
clause!
Punctuating Compound Sentences

 Use a comma and coordinating conjunction between the
two independent clauses.
 Ex. She received a gift, and she wrote a thank you note.
 Use a semi-colon to combine the two independent clauses.
 Ex. She received a gift; she wrote a thank you note.
 Use a semi-colon and a conjunctive adverb followed by a
comma to join the independent clauses.
 She received a gift; however, she did not write a thank
you note.
Punctuating Complex Sentences

 If the subordinate clause starts the sentence, you will
most of the time use a comma.
 Ex. Because she received a gift, she wrote a thank
you note.
 If the main clause comes first, no punctuation is
necessary.
 Ex. She wrote a thank you note since she received a
gift.
Examples of Compound Sentences

 My family are fans of Baylor, and our friends from
Dallas are fans of Oklahoma.
 Oklahoma played well, but Baylor played better.
 It will be nice to have a few days off this week, but it
will be nicer to have a longer break in December and
January.
Punctuating Compound-Complex
Sentences

 Remember to follow the same rules for punctuating
compound and complex sentences because those
rules can be applied to punctuating this type of
sentence.
 Ex. Because she received a gift, she decided to write
a thank you note, and her mother who gave her the
gift was grateful that her daughter used such good
manners.
Examples of Compound-Complex
Sentences

 When my niece and nephews went to the football
game, they were wearing their team’s spirit gear, but
one of my nephews had a hat for one team and a
shirt for the other.
 Some of my students will travel over the holiday,
and they will enjoy time in another place while other
students will stay close to home.
No Subordinate Clause
Contains a subordinate
clause
One sentence
Two sentences
S
CX
CD
CC
Example of Varied Sentence Structures
from Literature- TKAM

“She was horrible (simple). Her face was the color of a
dirty pillowcase, and the corners of her mouth glistened
with wet, which inched like a glacier down the deep
grooves enclosing her chin (compound-complex). Oldage liver spots dotted her cheeks, and her pale eyes had
black pinpoint pupils (compound). Her bottom plate
was not in, and her upper lip protruded; from time to
time she would draw her nether lip to her upper plate
and carry her chin with it (compound). This made the
wet move faster (simple).
--Scout’s description of Mrs. DuBose, Chapter 11
Practice Sentences

Practice identifying the types of sentence structures in the following sentences.
1. Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin developed the polio vaccine.
2. We watched the basketball game, and then we went out to eat at our
favorite restaurant.
3. The battery was dead, but the gas tank was full.
4. The library was empty and quiet.
5. Until their mother called them home, the children played happily.
6. Although I didn’t brew it long, the coffee tastes bitter, and I will not drink
it.
7. When the college freshman left home, her parents got her a used car.
8. After the doctor prescribed the medication, Angela still felt sick for the
rest of the day, but she felt better the next morning.
9. When the art student finished his drawing, he framed it for his parents.
10. The rescue helicopter plucked the extreme skiers from the mountainside.
Key to Practice Sentences











1. Simple
2. Compound
3. Compound
4. Simple
5. Complex
6. Compound-Complex
7. Complex
8. Compound-Complex
9. Complex
10. Simple