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. 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 Example: Because the electricity went out, the school closed early. Dependent 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 Whenever As Like

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. Or The school closed early because the electricity went out. Comma 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 A comma 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 Examples: 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? The school closed early, so we went home. Intelligent people are often not well organized they cannot keep a schedule. He has been a member since 1999, he has also served as president.

Compare complex and compound sentences If you are coming to school, can you give me a ride? He was coming to school, so he gave me a ride. Dependent Independent 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.