Sentence Types
Sentence TypesSimpleCompoundComplexCompound Complex
Mary plays tennis.
SUBJECT PREDICATE
Mary plays tennis.
SUBJECT PREDICATE
one subject one predicate
play tennis.Tom and Mary
Compound Subject
play tennis and swim.Tom and Mary
Compound Subject Compound Predicate
Tom and Mary play tennis.
Tom and Mary play tennis and swim.
No comma before “and” in compound
subjects and predicates!
Tom and Mary play tennis and swim.
SUBJECT PREDICATE
SUBJECT PREDICATE
and
Tom swims,
Mary plays tennis.
and
FOR
AND
NOR
BUT
OR
YET
SO
Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis.
Clause 1 Clause 2
Independent Independent
Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis.
Comma before “and” in compound
sentences!
MOREOVER
HOWEVER
OTHERWISE
THEREFORE
Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.
Clause 1 Clause 2
Independent Independent
Note: Semicolon before conjunctiveadverb and comma after conjunctive adverb!
Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.
Conjunctive Adverbs “float”
Conjunctive adverbs are sometimes called “floating” adverbs because they can be positioned at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a clause.
Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.
Bob is handsome; he is, moreover, rich.
Note: Place commas before and after a conjunctive adverb
in the middle!
Bob is handsome; he is, moreover, rich.
Bob is handsome; he is rich, moreover.
Note: Place a comma before a conjunctive adverb
at the end!
Bob is handsome; he is rich, moreover.
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).
Matt has benefited from his exercise program; he is slim and energetic.
SUBJECT PREDICATE
SUBJECT PREDICATE
even though
Bob is popular
he is ugly.
even though
EVEN THOUGH
WHEN
BECAUSE
UNLESS
WHEREAS
ADVERB CLAUSES
Bob is popular even though he is ugly.
Clause 1 Clause 2
Independent Dependent
Even though Bob is ugly, he is popular.
Clause 1 Clause 2
Dependent Independent
When the MAIN clause is first, it is usually NOT
followed by a comma!
Bob is popular even though he is ugly.
When the ADVERB clause is first, it is followed by a comma!
Even though Bob is ugly, he is popular.
Mike is popular
he is good looking,
because
he is not very happy.
but
Punctuate each clause according to its rules!
Mike is popular because he is good looking, but he is not very happy.
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
Semicolon before conjunctive adverb
Comma after conjunctiveadverb!
Native and nonnative English speakers have different needs; however, some schools fail to distinguish between these groups.
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
Conjunctive Adverb
Semicolon after first independent clause--
Commas before and after conjunctiveadverb!
Native and nonnative English speakers have different needs; some schools, however, fail to distinguish between these groups.
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
Conjunctive Adverb--in the middle
Semicolon after first independent clause--
Comma before conjunctiveadverb!
Native and nonnative English speakers have different needs; some schools fail to distinguish between these groups, however.
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
Conjunctive Adverb at the end
When main clause is first, it is not usually followed by a comma!
People had continuous moderate exercise when they had to hunt for food.
COMPLEX SENTENCE:
Adverb Clauses--Subordinating 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
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.