The Structure of a Sentence
Dependent ClauseBecause we were excited about the grammar lesson.
Independent ClauseWe were excited about the grammar lesson.
The Simple Sentence-
A simple sentence can be as short as one word:
Run!
Usually, however, the sentence has a subject as well as a predicate and both the subject
and the predicate may have modifiers. All of the following are simple sentences, because
each contains only one clause:
Melt!
Ice melts.
The ice melts quickly.
The ice on the river melts quickly under the warm March sun.
Lying exposed without its blanket of snow, the ice on the river melts quickly
under the warm March sun.
A simple sentence can be quite long -- it is a mistake to think that you can tell a simple
sentence from a compound sentence or a complex sentence simply by its length.
Simple Sentences with Compound Subjects and/or Verbs
Compound subject (two or more subjects related to the same verb):

Javier and his colleagues collaborated on the research article.
Compound verb (two or more verbs related to the same subject):

Javier conducted the experiment and documented the results.
Compound subject with compound verb:

Javier, his colleagues, and their advisor drafted and revised the article several
times.
The Compound Sentenceco-coordinating conjunctions
and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet
correlating conjunctions
Either…or
Neither…nor
Simple- Edgar Allen Poe is the father of the American short story.
Simple- He also created the first detective story.
Compound- Edgar Allen Poe is the father of the American short story, and he also
created the first detective story.
Compound sentences are very natural for English speakers -- small children learn to use
them early on to connect their ideas and to avoid pausing (and allowing an adult to
interrupt):
Today at school Mrs. Moore brought in her pet iguana, and she showed it to the
class, and I got to pet it, and Kate held it, and we colored pictures of it, and it ate
part of my carrot at lunch, and ...
Of course, this is an extreme example, but if you over-use compound sentences in written
work, your writing might seem unfocused.
A compound sentence is most effective when you use it to create a sense of balance or
contrast between two (or more) equally-important pieces of information:
Vanilla is a great flavor, but Chocolate is much more popular.
Choosing the Best Conjunction: One of the keys to using compound sentences
effectively is choosing the appropriate conjunction.
1. Daon was cold, _________ he put on a coat.
2. Maria tried to read a novel in French, __________ it was too difficult.
3. To get from Vancouver to Victoria, you can fly, __________ you can ride the ferry.
4. I bought a bottle of wine, __________ we drank it together.
5. The waiter was not very nice, __________ the food was delicious.
6. I went to buy a Rolling Stones CD, __________ the shop didn't have it.
7. Anna needed some money, __________ she took a part-time job.
8. There's so much rain lately! Maybe it's because of El Nino, __________ maybe it's just
coincidence.
9. Julie has a guitar, __________ she plays it really well.
10. The concert was cancelled, __________ we went to a nightclub instead.
Commas and Semicolons in Compound Sentences
Place a comma in front of the coordinating conjunction when joining two independent
clauses to construct a compound sentence.
I love pizza.
I love pizza
Domino’s pizza tastes like cardboard.
, but Domino’s pizza tastes like cardboard.
Place a semi-colon between two closely related independent clauses to construct a
compound sentence.
Squirrels are dirty animals.
They are one tail away from being rats.
;
Squirrels are dirty animals they are one tail away from being rats.
Exception to the Rule: Place a semi-colon in front of the coordinating conjunction when
either of the independent clauses already contains a comma.
My shirt, shoes and hat are soaked. They will dry quickly.
My shirt, shoes and hat are soaked
; but they will dry quickly.
Make each of the following sets of independent clauses into compound sentences by
adding the appropriate punctuation and conjunction.
1. The injury may have been significant. There is no excuse for playing that poorly.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. I will visit my grandmother. I will buy her a gift on the way there.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. I packed my flashlight, sleeping bag and tent. I feel like I have forgotten something.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Fred wants to make first chair. He practices for three hours every night.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Friday is picture day. I’m going to dye my hair purple.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________________Period:_______Date:________________
Compound Sentence Combining Review #1
Using your notes, combine each of the following sentences following the appropriate rules of punctuation
and usage.
1. The food looked tasty. It was way too expensive.
________________________________________________________________________
2. He will finish everything on her plate. He will eat off of yours, too.
________________________________________________________________________
3. The water level kept rising. The authorities issued a flood warning.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. You must finish your work now. You will get a zero.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Peter’s status on the team is questionable. He may have lingering injury problems.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Philadelphia sports teams have a glorious past. Their present is questionable.
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
7. Todd was hesitant to talk at first. He found his voice by the end of the film.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. Holden Caulfield failed to use introspection throughout his experiences. He did not
recognize the cause of many of his behaviors.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
9. He idealizes childhood and children. He does not want to face the troubles that come with
being an adult.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
10. A quarterback can pass, run or handoff to a running back. He cannot go out for a pass
himself.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
11. It’s fun. It’s also informative.
________________________________________________________________________
12. Michaela’s mother packed her lunch for her. She dropped it off at the front desk.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
13. She is getting older. She has lost a step or two.
________________________________________________________________________
14. Vince is gaining valuable experience. His performance will improve as time goes on.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
15. They picked a slow song. They wanted something everyone could dance to.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Semicolons and Conjunctive Adverbs
Conjunctive Adverbs
accordingly
in fact
again
instead
also
likewise
besides
moreover
The musician is respected by all of his peers; in fact, he will be
consequently
namely
receiving an award this evening.
finally
nevertheless
for example
otherwise
I forgot to call my parents when I arrived at the game; consequently,
further
still
my driving privileges have been revoked.
furthermore
that is
hence
then
The cell phone has become one of the most versatile pieces of
however
therefore
technology in history; for example, most phones currently function as
indeed
thus
a phone, a texting device, a GPS and a mini-computer.
Compound Sentence with a semicolon and conjunctive adverb
Name: ________________________________Period:_______Date:________________
Compound Sentence Combining Review #2
Using your notes, combine each of the following sentences following the appropriate
rules of punctuation and usage. Combine 5 sentences with a coordinating conjunction
and five with a conjunctive adverb.
1. I want to go. I can’t go now.
________________________________________________________________________
2. It is very humid outside. I’m sweating like a pig.
________________________________________________________________________
3. My neighbors, who I have known for years, suddenly disappeared. I have no idea
where they went.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Pink Floyd is one of the greatest bands of all time. The Wall is one of the best
albums ever made.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. The man sat by himself. He did not look lonely.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Baking bananas fulfill the role of the potato in tropical countries. They can be used in
all the same recipes.
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
7. Ray Bradbury is a man in his 90s. He modeled the 17 year-old Clarisse after himself.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. Fahrenheit 451 is about book burning. It is also about freedom of thought.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
9. He fears rejection. He criticizes people before he really knows them.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
10. You can dance, sing or listen to music. You cannot play an instrument.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
The Complex Sentence- has exactly one independent clause and at least
one subordinate clause
Simple
My friend invited me to a party. I do not want to go.
Compound
My friend invited me to a party, but I do not want to go.
Complex
Although my friend invited me to a party, I do not want to go.
In the first example, there are two separate simple sentences: "My friend invited me to a
party" and "I do not want to go." The second example joins them together into a single
sentence with the coordinating conjunction "but," but both parts could still stand as
independent sentences -- they are entirely equal, and the reader cannot tell which is most
important. In the third example, however, the sentence has changed quite a bit: the first
clause, "Although my friend invited me to a party," has become incomplete, or a
dependent clause.
A complex sentence is very different from a simple sentence or a compound sentence
because it makes clear which ideas are most important. When you write
My friend invited me to a party. I do not want to go.
or even
My friend invited me to a party, but I do not want to go.
The reader will have trouble knowing which piece of information is most important to
you. When you write the subordinating conjunction "although" at the beginning of the
first clause, however, you make it clear that the fact that your friend invited you is less
important than, or subordinate, to the fact that you do not want to go.
Common Subordinating Conjunctions
after
although
as
as if
as long as
as though
because
before
even if
even though
if
if only
in order that
now that
once
rather than
since
so that
than
that
Though
till
unless
until
when
whenever
where
whereas
wherever
while
The Compound-Complex Sentence- contains two or more
independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause
The package arrived in the morning, but the courier left before I could check the
contents.
Review: Sentence Structure
Put all prepositional phrases in parenthesis, put a box around all coordinating
conjunctions, circle all subordinating conjunctions and underline any subordinate
clauses. Then, identify each sentence as simple, compound, complex or compound
complex.
Examples: The music was good, but they sounded better on the album
Because his parents did not give him any spending money, he had to get a job.
After studying the examples, we will write sentences of our own and we will
analyze their structure.
1. Ottawa is the capital of Canada, but Toronto is the capital of Ontario.
2. Democracy is a noble goal; it is important, however, to protect the minority from
the tyranny of the majority.
3. I do not own a Porsche.
4. Call your father as soon as you arrive in Antigonish.
5. I ate the sushi and left the restaurant.
6. Unless my girlfriend postpones her visit from Calgary, I will not have time to
study for my exam.
7. Susanne wanted to be here, but she cannot come because her car is in the shop.
8. The football game was cancelled because it was raining.
9. The football game was cancelled because of the rain.
10. When the train arrives and if Ms. Langlois is on it, she will be served with a
subpoena.
accordingly
in fact
again
instead
also
likewise
besides
moreover
The musician is respected by all of his peers; in fact, he will be
consequently
namely
receiving an award this evening.
finally
nevertheless
for example
otherwise
I forgot to call my parents when I arrived at the game; consequently,
further
still
my driving privileges have been revoked.
furthermore
that is
hence
then
The cell phone has become one of the most versatile pieces of
however
therefore
technology in history; for example, most phones currently function as
indeed
thus
a phone, a texting device, a GPS and a mini-computer.
Compound Sentence with a semicolon and conjunctive adverb