Sentence Types
A guide
4 Sentence Types
I. Simple
II. Complex
III. Compound
IV. Compound-Complex
I. Simple Sentence
Simple subject
 One
Clause
 This clause has one subject (can be
simple or compound)
Example: My uncle works for
Microsoft.
My uncle is a simple subject.
I. Simple Sentence
Compound subject
 One
Clause
 This clause has one subject (can be
simple or compound)
Example: My uncle and aunt work for
Microsoft.
My uncle and aunt is a compound
subject.
I. Simple Sentence
single verb
 One
Clause
 This clause has one main verb (Can
be single or compound
Example: My uncle works for
Microsoft.
works is a single main verb.
I. Simple Sentence
compound verb
 One
Clause
 This clause has one main verb (Can
be single or compound)
Example: My uncle works and plays
softball for Microsoft.
Works and plays is a compound main
verb.
Check your understanding
of Simple Sentence
Read each of these sentences and find the subjects and main
verbs. Tell your teacher or another student where the
subjects and verbs are.
1.
2.
3.
A quiz will be given next
Wednesday.
Interestingly, our textbook has this
information in the back.
His only regret is not finishing high
school.
II. Complex Sentence
 Two
Clauses (at least)
 One clause is dependent and
 One clause is independent
Dependent
Example: Because the electricity went
out, the school closed early.
Independent
II. Complex Sentence
Dependent Clause
A dependent clause
has a subject and a
verb but….
A dependent clause
cannot stand alone
as a sentence.
It starts with a
dependent word.
Examples:
Because
If
When
Before
Although After
Though
Even
though
As
Like
Whenever
II. Complex Sentence
Dependent Clause
Examples of dependent clauses:
If I can meet all of my goals for this
class,…..
 ……when she walked out of the room.
 …..because these two diets are so
different.
 Before she was an actress,….

II. Complex Sentence
Dependent Clause
Dependent clauses can be at the
beginning or the end of the
sentence.
Example:
Because the electricity went out, the
school closed early.
Or
The school closed early because the
electricity went out.
II. Complex Sentence
Dependent Clause
Look back at the last
slide.
What difference do
you see in
punctuation
between the two
sentences?
Discuss with a
classmate.
II. Complex Sentence
Dependent Clause
Because the electricity went out, the
school closed early.
Comma
Or
The school closed early because the
electricity went out.
No comma!
II. Complex Sentence
Fragments
 Remember:
A dependent clause
cannot stand alone as a sentence!
 A dependent clause standing alone is
a FRAGMENT.
Example: Because the electricity went
out. (what happened?)
Or
The school closed early. Because the
electricity went out.
This period creates a
fragment.
II. Complex Sentence
Fragments
More fragment examples:
If this is your final semester at MPC.
You should see your counselor.
Please find out what we did in class.
When you are absent.
These periods create
fragments.
II. Complex Sentence
Dependent Clause
How
do you think you can fix
a fragment?
Discuss with classmates……..
?
Compare Simple and Complex
Sentences
Simple: The school closed early.
(one subject and one verb)
Complex: Because the electricity went
out, the school closed early.
(two subjects and two main verbs)
III.Compound Sentence
A
Compound Sentence is just two
simple sentences joined.
Example: The school closed early.
We went home.
The school closed early, so we went
home.
III. Compound Sentence


Two simple sentences = two independent
clauses.
The two clauses must be joined with
1) A comma
2) A FANBOYS
FANBOYS
WHAT IS A FANBOYS????
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
Compound Sentence
 When
you have two independent
clauses (=two simple sentences) and
you are joining them, you must use a
comma and a FANBOYS.
 The
“official name” for FANBOYS is
Coordinating Conjunction
III. Compound Sentence
 Examples:
Comma +
FANBOYS
My uncle works for Microsoft, and he
plays softball on the Microsoft team.
Sentence 1
Sentence 2
III. Compound Sentence:
Run ons and Comma Splices
 When
joining two independent
clauses, you MUST add a comma
AND a FANBOYS.
 IF you add nothing, this creates an
error called a “run on”.
My uncle works for Microsoft he plays
softball on the Microsoft team.
III. Compound Sentence:
Run ons and Comma Splices
 When
joining two independent
clauses, you MUST add a comma
AND a FANBOYS.
 If you do not add a FANBOYS, this
error is called a “Comma splice”.
My uncle works for Microsoft, he plays
softball on the Microsoft team.
III. Compound Sentence:
Run ons and Comma Splices
Are the following sentences 1) run ons?
2)comma splices? or 3) okay?
1) The school closed early, so we went
home.
2) Intelligent people are often not well
organized they cannot keep a schedule.
3) He has been a member since 1999, he
has also served as president.
Compare complex and compound
sentences
Complex:
If you are coming to school, can you
give me a ride?
Dependent
Independent
He was coming to school, so he gave
me a ride.
Independent
Independent
IV. Compound-Complex Sentences
This sentence type is just a combination of
the two above types.
 Remember:

Sentence Type
Clause Type
Complex =
One dependent and one
independent clause
Compound =
Two independent clauses
IV. Compound-Complex Sentences
So….. A compound-complex sentence
has at least
1 dependent clause and two
independent clauses.
Example: If you are coming to school,
can you give me a ride, so I won’t be
late?
Finally….
 Review
the punctuation (comma use)
that is part of each sentence type.
 Review what a fragment, a run on
and a comma splice is.
 Practice writing one sentence of each
type. Check your sentences with
your teacher.