Sentence Structure

Sentence Types

Sentence Structure

Learning Target:

TSWBAT know how to define simple, compound, and complex sentences and use them consciously.

Sentence Types

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

Basic Elementsof

Every Sentence

SUBJECT PREDICATE

Basic Elements

Mary plays tennis.

SUBJECT PREDICATE

SIMPLE SENTENCE

Mary plays tennis.

SUBJECT PREDICATE

one subject one predicate

Simple Sentence

play tennis.Tom and Mary

Compound Subject

&

Simple Sentence

play tennis and swim.Tom and Mary

Compound Subject Compound Predicate

& &

SIMPLE SENTENCEwith compound subject

Tom and Mary play tennis.

SIMPLE SENTENCEwith compound subject

andcompound predicate

Tom and Mary play tennis and swim.

Hi,I’m Punctuation Pete!

SIMPLE SENTENCEwith compound subject

andcompound predicate

No comma before “and” in compound

subjects and predicates!

Tom and Mary play tennis and swim.

Compound Sentence withCoordinating Conjunctions

SUBJECT PREDICATE

SUBJECT PREDICATE

and

Compound Sentence

Tom swims,

Mary plays tennis.

and

COMPOUND SENTENCE:COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

FOR

AND

NOR

BUT

OR

YET

SO

Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis.

COMPOUND SENTENCE:COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

Clause 1 Clause 2

Independent Independent

COMPOUND SENTENCE:COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis.

Comma before “and” in compound

sentences!

Semicolons

• “If the relation between the ideas expressed in the main clauses is very close and obvious without a conjunction, you can separate the clauses with a semicolon” (Little, Brown Handbook, 9th Edition, p. 361).

COMPOUND SENTENCE:SEMICOLON

Matt has benefited from his exercise program; he is fit and energetic.

Complex Sentence

SUBJECT PREDICATE

SUBJECT PREDICATE

even though

Complex Sentence

Bob is popular

he is quiet.

even though

COMPLEX SENTENCE:SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

EVEN THOUGH

WHEN

BECAUSE

UNLESS

WHEREAS

ADVERB CLAUSES

COMPLEX SENTENCE:SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

Bob is popular even though he is bold.

Clause 1 Clause 2

Independent Dependent

COMPLEX SENTENCE:SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

Even though Bob is loud, he is popular.

Clause 1 Clause 2

Dependent Independent

COMPLEX SENTENCE:SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

When the MAIN clause is first, it is usually NOT

followed by a comma!

Bob is popular even though he is loud.

COMPLEX SENTENCE:SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

When the ADVERB clause is first, it is followed by a comma!

Even though Bob is shy, he is popular.

PunctuationReview!

No commas before “and” in compound subjects and predicates!

My friends and I play tennis and go bowling every weekend.

SIMPLE SENTENCE

Comma before coordinating conjunction!

Men may exercise harder, but they may not exercise as regularly as women do.

COMPOUND SENTENCE:

Coordinating Conjunction

When the adverb clause is first, it is followed by a comma!

When people had to hunt for food, they had continuous moderate exercise.

COMPLEX SENTENCE:

Adverb Clauses--Subordinating Conjunction

References

Writing Academic English, Second Edition, by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue. White Plains: Addison, Wesley, Longman, 1999.

The Little, Brown Handbook, by H. Ramsey Fowler and Jane E. Aaron, Pearson, 2004.