Simple and multiple sentences Each part of a sentence is called a clause. A simple sentence contains one clause. A sentence that contains more than one clause is called a multiple sentence. Example: Everybody flocks to the supermarket as though they were a herd of cattle.

Compound sentences There are many different ways in which we can join clauses to form multiple sentences. A very straightforward way of doing this is to join them with words like and: Eddie didn’t do much work for the exams. + He got grade D for English. = Eddie didn’t do much work for the exam and he got a grade D for English.

Conjunctions The words that are used to join sentences are called conjunctions. Some conjunctions used to form compound sentences are: but or nor then yet and

Conjunctions It makes a difference, of course, which conjunction you use. Imagine that you are talking to a friend from France. How would you explain the difference in meaning between each of these groups of sentences? 1a Eddie didn’t do much work in the exams and he got a grade D for English. 1b Eddie didn’t do much work in the exams but he got a grade D for English. 2a Tomorrow I’m going swimming and I shall visit Donna. 2b Tomorrow I’m going swimming or I shall visit Donna. 2a Tomorrow I’m going swimming then I shall visit Donna. 3a We went to the pictures in Poole but we walked home. 3b We went to the pictures in Poole then we walked home. 3a We went to the pictures in Poole and we walked home. 4a She’s sixteen yet she can drive a car. 4b She’s sixteen or she can drive a car. 4c She’s sixteen and she can drive a car.

Complex sentences The conjunctions used to form compound sentences do have different meanings. However, compound sentences only give the reader a little more information than if we just wrote two simple sentences. There are more complicated ways of joining two clauses. These two clauses can be combined in several different ways. The first team played hard. They lost the match.

Complex sentences 1 Although the first team played hard, they lost the match. 2 Even if the first team played hard, they lost the match. 3 Whenever the first team played hard, they lost the match. 4 The first team, which lost the match, played hard. Sentences that link clauses in this way are called complex sentences.

Main Clause Each of the sentences before has one clause that will stand on its own. They lost the match. The first team played hard. This clause is called the main clause.

Subordinate clause The other clause in each of the sentences cannot stand on its own because it is incomplete. Although the first team played hard…. Even if the first team played hard …. Whenever the first team played hard… …. which lost the match …. This clause is called the subordinate clause.

Writing practice Each of the following pairs of simple sentences can be combined into one complex sentence, as was done in the previous examples. See how many different complex sentences you can make from each pair.

Writing practice Sonya trained hard for the District Sports. She came second in the high jump. It rains a lot in February. The football pitch cannot be used. She works hard on her Saturday job. She earns £7 an hour. I don’t enjoy reading much. I like science-fiction stories. Wayne is not very good at science. Wayne is an expert on computer games.

Good writing Good writing has a mix of simple and multiple sentences. What makes writing not just accurate and informative but interesting and entertaining is the way in which the writer chooses to do this.