Different Styles of Sentences Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences

Simple sentences Simple sentences contain only one independent clause. For example: Mr. Lo enjoys teaching English. The students like talking in class.

Compound Sentences Compound sentences join two or more independent clauses (simple sentences). E.g. Mr. Lo enjoys teaching English. Mr. Lo wants his students to succeed. Mr. Lo enjoys teaching English, and he wants his students to succeed.

Compound Sentences A compound sentence contains two sentences joined by and, or, or but. These words are called conjunctions.conjunctions Compound sentences express more than one complete thought.

Complex Sentences Complex sentences join one or more dependent clauses to the independent clause. Complex sentences are useful when your writing includes some ideas that are more important than others. Mr. Lo, a teacher at Ju Ching Chu Secondary School, enjoys teaching English.

Complex Sentences A complex sentence contains a clause (a statement) that is not a complete sentence. This is in addition to the complete sentence. "a teacher at Ju Ching Chu Secondary School" is not a complete sentence and would not stand on its own. (That is why it is sometimes called a "dependent" clause. It depends on the rest of the sentence.)

Combining Sentences In order for your writing to be interesting, (remember, you're going for that "A"), you need to use a wide variety of sentences. If all of your sentences sound alike, your writing will sound repetitive, or boring. Here are some examples of ways you can combine sentences to make COMPOUND SENTENCES:

Combining Sentences Combine NOUNS- Mary is in fifth grade. John is in fifth grade. Mary and John are in fifth grade. Combine VERBS – Mary watered the lawn. Mary mowed the lawn. Mary watered and mowed the lawn. Combine ADJECTIVES – Mary is smart. Mary is pretty. Mary is smart and pretty. Combine ADVERBS- The children ran quickly. The children ran noisily. The children ran quickly and noisily.

Make Complete Sentences A complete sentence must have two parts: A subject (HINT: A noun that the sentence is about) A predicate (HINT: contains some kind of VERB that the subject is or did, or is doing) e.g. Subject Predicate The boy ran.

Make Complete Sentences Subject Who Verb What Adv Manner How Adv Place Where Adv Time When The boyranslowlyaround the track this morning.

Common Mistakes Having only a subject, but no predicate: That woman next door. This is only the subject. We need to know WHAT? What is she, or what is she doing, or what did she do???? These sentences would be complete sentences: That woman next door is pretty. That woman next door bought a dog. That woman next door runs every day. Having only the predicate: went shopping. Who went shopping? Well, we know you went shopping, but that's not what was written, was it? You can fix this a couple of ways: I did my homework and went shopping. I did my homework. I also went shopping.