Sentence structures

Depending on the number and types of clauses they contain, sentences are classified as

Clauses come in two varieties: independent and subordinate.

An independent clause contains a subject and a predicate, and it either stands alone or could stand alone.

A subordinate clause also contains a subject and a predicate, but it functions within a sentence as an adjective, an adverb, or a noun; it cannot stand alone.

Simple sentence

A simple sentence is one independent clause with no subordinate clauses.

Example sentence: Without a passport Eva could not visit her grandparents in Hungary. Explanation: This is a simple sentence. It consists of one independent clause.

Compound sentence

A compound sentence is composed of two or more independent clauses with no subordinate clauses. The independent clauses are usually joined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) or with a semicolon.

Example sentence: The car broke down, but a rescue van arrived within minutes. Explanation: This is a compound sentence. It consists of two independent clauses: The first independent clause is The car broke down. The second independent clause is a rescue van arrived within minutes.

Complex sentence

A complex sentence is composed of one independent clause with one or more subordinate clauses.

Example sentence: If you leave late, take a cab home. Explanation: This is a complex sentence. It consists of an independent clause and a subordinate clause. The independent clause is take a cab home. The subordinate clause is If you leave late.

Compound-complex sentence

A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause. The following sentence contains two independent clauses, each of which contains a subordinate clause.

Example sentence: Tell the doctor how you feel, and she will decide whether you can go home. Explanation: This is a compound-complex sentence. It consists of two independent clauses and two subordinate clauses. The first independent clause is Tell the doctor how you feel. The subordinate clause within that clause is how you feel. The second independent clause is she will decide whether you can go home. The subordinate clause within that clause is whether you can go home.

Exercise: Sentence types

Related topics:

Subordinate clauses

Subjects

Verbs, objects, and complements

subject Grammatically, a word or word group that names who or what a sentence is about.

predicate A verb and its objects, complements, and modifiers.

subject Grammatically, a word or word group that names who or what a sentence is about.

predicate A verb and its objects, complements, and modifiers.

adjective A word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun: lame, old, rare, beautiful; also the articles a, an, the.

adverb A word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb: very, smoothly, never.

noun The name of a person, place, thing, or an idea.

independent clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that can or does stand alone as a sentence.

subordinate clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence because it begins with a word that marks it as subordinate (such as although, because, who, or that).

independent clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that can or does stand alone as a sentence.

subordinate clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence because it begins with a word that marks it as subordinate (such as although, because, who, or that).

independent clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that can or does stand alone as a sentence.

subordinate clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence because it begins with a word that marks it as subordinate (such as although, because, who, or that).

independent clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that can or does stand alone as a sentence.

subordinate clause A word group containing a subject and a verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence because it begins with a word that marks it as subordinate (such as although, because, who, or that).