Sentence Structure
Independent Clause
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Example: the cat crept through the dark house
has a subject and a verb
expresses a complete thought
can be a sentence by itself
Dependent (or Subordinate) Clauses
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Example: after his owners left for the evening
has a subject and a verb
does not express a complete thought
cannot be left as a sentence on its own
starts with a subordinating conjunction
dependent clauses that begin sentences must be followed by a comma
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*Simple Sentence = 1 independent clause (1 complete sentence)
The cat crept through the dark house.
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*Compound Sentence = 2 independent clauses (2 complete sentences put together)
Patterns:
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Sentence, FANBOYS sentence.
Sentence; sentence.
Sentence; CONJUNCTIVE ADVERB, sentence.
The cat crept through the dark house, and the wary mouse watched from underneath the stairs.
The cat crept through the dark house; the wary mouse watched from underneath the stairs.
The cat crept through the dark house; nonetheless, the wary mouse watched from underneath the stairs.
FANBOYS
(conjunctions)
for
and
nor
but
or
yet
so
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS
accordingly furthermore moreover similarly also
hence
namely
still anyway
however
nevertheless
then
besides
incidentally next
thereafter
certainly indeed
nonetheless therefore consequently instead
now
thus
finally
likewise
otherwise undoubtedly further meanwhile
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Sentence Structure
*Complex Sentence = 1 independent clause & 1 or more dependent clauses
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Complex sentences use subordinate conjunctions to join the independent and the dependent clauses
together.
Subordinate conjunctions are AAAWWUBBIS words; however, there are also other subordinate
conjunctions.
Patterns:
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Opener, sentence.
AAAWWWUBBIS clause
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Sentence closer
AAAWWWUBBIS clause
The cat crept through the dark house after his owners left for the evening.
After his owners left for the evening, the cat crept through the dark house.
AAAWWUBBIS words
After
Until
Although
Before
As
Because
When
If
While
Since
Other Subordinate Conjunctions
in order that
though
now that
unless
once
whenever
rather than
where
so that
whereas
than
wherever
that
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as if
as long as
as though
even if
even though
if only
*Compound-Complex Sentences = 2 or more independent clauses & 1 or more dependent clauses
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The same subordinating conjunctions are used to introduce the dependent clauses.
The same coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) are used for joining the independent clauses.
Even though it seems the two were bent on the other’s destruction, the cat and mouse were rather fond of one another,
and neither wanted the other’s defeat.