SENTENCES AND CLAUSES
A sentence has at least one subject and one full verb and holds a complete thought. It is
made up of one or more clauses.
Here are some points to remember about sentences:
 First letter must be capitalized.
 Must have proper punctuation at its end (full stop, exclamation point, question
mark).
 Must contain a predicate (an action) and a subject (a doer of that action).
 Expresses a complete thought.
Clauses
Clauses are the main building blocks of sentences. Every clause contains a subject and verb. There
are two types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses.
Independent clauses
An independent clause is a complete thought, has a subject and a verb and can also stand alone
as a compete sentence.
e.g. Saeed visited his friends.
subject
verb
Sometimes, the subject and verb may have more than one part.
e.g. Fatima and Zainab wrote and edited their essays.
subject
verb
Dependent clauses:
A dependent clause has a subject and verb but it does not contain a complete idea and therefore
cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. A dependent clause often starts with a subordinate
conjunction (e.g. because, while, which, since, etc.)
e.g. because writing is creative.
which is in Spanish
while grammar is easy
TYPES OF SENTENCES
There are three main kinds of sentences in English, depending on the types of clauses that each
sentence consists of. The three sentences types are:
Simple, compound and complexes sentences
1. Simple sentences
A simple sentence has one independent clauses.
e.g. Writing is an important skill.
2. Compound sentences
A compound sentence has two or more independent clause joined together by connecting
words (coordinating conjunctions) or a semicolon (;). These connecting words include:
and
but
because
or
yet
so
e.g. Writing is an important skill so you must practice.
Writing is an important skill but it is not easy.
3. Complex sentences
A complex sentence has one independent clause and one (or more) dependent clause.
These clauses are joined together by connecting words (subordinating conjunctions), which
includes:
e.g. Although writing is difficult, it gets easier with practice.
Since writing is used in all university classes, it is a good idea to learn how to write well.
Because grammar was easy, I learned it quickly.
She doesn’t agree that grammar is easy.
These connecting words includes:
who that
which
where
although since
while
after
because if
before
unless
until
when
EXCERCISES
For each sentence below, circle the different clause/s and underline the connecting words. Next,
tick the box to show if the sentence is simple, compound or complex.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Writing is an important language skill.
Students must know how to write essays for their university classes/
This writing class will be interesting, but it will not be a holiday.
Students are responsible for their own learning because the teacher cannot
learn for the students.
5. If students attend classes and try to do the course work, they will have a
better chance of passing.
6. Compared to all of life, this writing course is short, so you should use your
time wisely to gain this rewarding skill.
7. Since writing is used in all university classes, it is a good idea to learn how to
write well.
8. Students must focus on the content of the essay, use the correct grammar and
employ advanced level vocabulary.
9. Students must read about unfamiliar issues because this will help them to
write better essays.
10. Students will learn many writing skills in Level Three, so their writing will come
a long way.
11. If students want to use sophisticated vocabulary in their writing, they should
use a dictionary and thesaurus.
complex
compound
(compound)
Simple
Salim was overweight but he was strong.
COMPOUND SENTENCES PRACTICE
Practice: Complete each sentence by adding one of the connecting words.
And - but - or - yet – because - so
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Saeed was tired, _______
he went to bed.
so
but
Mariam tried to read novel in French, _________it
was too difficult.
To get from Dubai to Jeddah, you can fly, _________you
can drive by car.
or
I bought a shawarma,_____
and we ate it together.
The waiter was not very nice,___________
the food was delicious.
but
Hamda needed some money,___________
she asked her father for 500 SDG.
so
I don’t feel well today. Maybe it’s because I’m too tired,________
maybe I’m getting sick.
or
Salma has a guitar ___________she
plays it really well.
and
I am excited ___________
my sister’s wedding is tomorrow.
because
Now, using a comma and a connecting word (coordinating conjunction), join each pairs of sentences
to make one compound sentence.
1. Nowadays, English has become a global language.
It is important to learn it.
________________________________________________________________________________
Nowadays, English has become a global language, so it is important to learn it.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. 400 million people have the English as their mother tongue
700 million people speak English as a second language.
________________________________________________________________________________
400 million people have the English as their mother tongue, and 700 million people speak
______________________________________________________________________________
English as a second language.
3. In the job market it is important to speak English.
This will give you better work opportunities.
________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. English is good for communication.
Societies must also preserve their own languages.
________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
COMPLEX SENTENCES PRACTICE
Practice - Connect the independent and dependent clauses below by using one of the
connecting words (subordinate conjunctions) to make complex sentences.
who that which where
although since because unless
until
when while after before
Umm Kulthum
 Um Kulthum was a famous Arab singer, _______ was born in El
Senbellawein Egypt in December 31, 1904.
 _____________ we learn about Um Kulthum’s life and successes, we
will not understand why she is known as ‘the voice and face of Egypt’
and ‘the star of the East.’
 Umm Kulthum showed considerable singing talent even __________
she was still quite young.
 __________ her father was an Imam, she was taught the Quran from
an early age and she is said to have memorized the book.
 At the age of eight, her father dressed her up as a boy to sing to the
mayor, __________ during that time it was seen as wrong for women
to sing in public.
 At the age of 19, she moved to Cairo _________she began her formal
singing career.
 Her concerts were often 3 to 6 hours long___________ they become
shorter in the 1960s because of her age.
 ___________ the 1960s and 70s, Umm Kulthum did not appear in
public very often.
 However, she played a more public role in Egypt and other Arab
countries __________ she became a spokeswoman to support Arab
culture.
 ___________ she became seriously ill in1967, she continued to sing
for another five years.
 Umm Kulthum sang at the Qasr Al-Nil Cinema in 1972, ________ was
her last public performance.
 Her funeral in 1975 was an historic national event, __________ was
attended by over three million people.
 ______________ more than 35 years since her death, she is still one
of the most popular singers in the Arab world selling around a million
records yearly.
(information sources: Wikipedia, http://almashriq.hiof.no/egypt/700/780/umkoulthoum)