The 4 Types of Sentence Structure

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The 4 Types of Sentence Structure
In What is a Sentence? we saw the minimum requirements for the formation of a sentence. Now we can look in more detail at the four types of sentence structure.
Simple Sentence Structure
A simple sentence consists of one independent clause. (An independent clause contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.)
· I like coffee.
· Mary likes tea.
· The earth goes round the sun.
· Mary did not go to the party.
Compound Sentence Structure
A compound sentence is two (or more) independent clauses joined by a conjunction or semi-colon. Each of these clauses could form a sentence alone.
· I like coffee and Mary likes tea.
· Mary went to work but John went to the party.
· Our car broke down; we came last.
There are seven coordinating conjunctions:
· and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so
Complex Sentence Structure
A complex sentence consists of an independent clause plus a dependent clause. (A dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun, and contains a subject and verb, but does not express a complete thought.)
· We missed our plane because we were late.
· Our dog barks when she hears a noise.
· He left in a hurry after he got a phone call.
· Do you know the man who is talking to Mary?
Here are some common subordinating conjunctions:
· after, although, as, because, before, how, if, once, since, than, that, though, till, until, when, where, whether, while
Here are the five basic relative pronouns:
· that, which, who, whom, whose
Compound-Complex Sentence Structure
A compound-complex sentence consists of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
· John didn't come because he was ill so Mary was not happy.
· He left in a hurry after he got a phone call but he came back five minutes later.
· A dependent clause is also called a subordinate clause.
· The above sentences are basic examples only. In some cases other arrangements are possible (for example, a dependent clause can come before an independent clause).
Definitions and Examples of Basic Sentence Elements
The Mastering the Mechanics webinar series also describes required sentence elements and varying sentence types. Please see these archived webinars for more information.
 
Key: Yellow, bold = subject; green underline = verb, blue, italics = object, pink, regular font = prepositional phrase
 
Independent clause: An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a subject and a verb and is a complete idea.
· I like spaghetti.
· He reads many books.
Dependent clause: A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be attached to an independent clause to become complete. This is also known as a subordinate clause.
· Although I like spaghetti,…
· Because he reads many books,…
Subject: A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that does an action. Determine the subject in a sentence by asking the question “Who or what?”
· I like spaghetti.
· He reads many books.
Verb: Expresses what the person, animal, place, thing, or concept does. Determine the verb in a sentence by asking the question “What was the action or what happened?”
· I like spaghetti.
· He reads many books.
· The movie is good. (The be verb is also sometimes referred to as a copula or a linking verb. It links the subject, in this case the movie, to the complement or the predicate of the sentence, in this case, good.)
Object: A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that receives the action. Determine the object in a sentence by asking the question “The subject did what?” or “To whom?/For whom?”
· I like spaghetti.
· He reads many books.
Prepositional Phrase: A phrase that begins with a preposition (i.e., in, at for, behind, until, after, of, during) and modifies a word in the sentence. A prepositional phrase answers one of many questions. Here are a few examples: “Where? When? In what way?”
· I like spaghetti for dinner.
· He reads many books in the library.
English Sentence Structure
The following statements are true about sentences in English:
· A new sentence begins with a capital letter.
· He obtained his degree.
· A sentence ends with punctuation (a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point).
· He obtained his degree.
· A sentence contains a subject that is only given once.
· Smith he obtained his degree.
· A sentence contains a verb or a verb phrase.
· He obtained his degree.
· A sentence follows Subject + Verb + Object word order.
· He (subject) obtained (verb) his degree (object).
· A sentence must have a complete idea that stands alone. This is also called an independent clause.
· He obtained his degree.
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have an object and modifiers. However, it contains only one independent clause.
Key: Yellow, bold = subject; green underline = verb, blue, italics = object, pink, regular font =prepositional phrase
Here are a few examples:
· She read.
· She completed her literature review.
· He organized his sources by theme.
· They studied APA rules for many hours.
Compound Sentences
A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses.  These two independent clauses can be combined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon.
Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma  or semicolon = pink, regular font; coordinating conjunction = green, underlined
Here are a few examples:
· She completed her literature review, and she created her reference list.
· He organized his sources by theme; then, he updated his reference list.
· They studied APA rules for many hours, but they realized there was still much to learn.
Using some compound sentences in writing allows for more sentence variety.
Complex Sentences
A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Dependent clauses can refer to the subject (who, which) the sequence/time (since, while), or the causal elements (because, if) of the independent clause.
If a sentence begins with a dependent clause, note the comma after this clause. If, on the other hand, the sentence begins with an independent clause, there is not a comma separating the two clauses.
Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma = pink, regular font; dependent clause = blue, italics
Here are a few examples:
· Although she completed her literature review, she still needed to work on her methods section.
· Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
· Because he organized his sources by theme, it was easier for his readers to follow.
· Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
· They studied APA rules for many hours as they were so interesting.
· Note that there is no comma in this sentence because it begins with an independent clause.
· Using some complex sentences in writing allows for more sentence variety.
Compound-Complex Sentences
Sentence types can also be combined. A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma  or semicolon = pink, regular font; coordinating conjunction = green, underlined; dependent clause = blue, italics
· She completed her literature review, but she still needs to work on her methods section even though she finished her methods course last semester.
· Although he organized his sources by theme, he decided to arrange them chronologically, and he carefully followed the MEAL plan for organization. 
· With pizza and soda at hand, they studied APA rules for many hours, and they decided that writing in APA made sense because it was clear, concise, and objective.
· Using some complex-compound sentences in writing allows for more sentence variety.
· Pay close attention to comma usage in complex-compound sentences so that the reader is easily able to follow the intended meaning.
· https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/sentencestructure
Knowledge Check: Sentence Structure and Types of SentencesParte superior do formulário
1. Take this short quiz to see how well you've learned the content of this webpage.
2. Identify the independent clause in this sentence: Although she enjoys reading, she prefers writing. ​
Although she enjoys readingshe prefers writing
3. Identify the dependent clause in this sentence: He has been teaching since he was 24 years old.
He has been teachingsince he was 24 years old
4. The minimum requirements for a sentence in English include the following:  (Choose more than one.)
a subjecta verban objecta prepositional phrasepunctuation
5. True or false: An English sentence follows subject + verb + object word order.
TrueFalse
6. Complete the sentence: A simple sentence ___________.
contains at least two independent clauses.contains at least one independent clause and one dependent clause.contains only one independent clause.
7. The results of my study were inconclusive is an example of a ___________ sentence.
complexcompoundsimple
8. Even though I discovered some answers to the questions, the results of my study were inconclusive is an example of a _________ sentence.
compoundsimplecomplex
9. The results of my study were inconclusive; therefore, I will need to conduct more research on the topic is an example of a ___________ sentence.
complexcompoundsimple
10. Which of these complex sentences is punctuated correctly?
Sentence variety improves readability, because the variation makes the sentences more interesting.Sentence variety improves readability because the variation makes the sentences more interesting.
11. True or false: A compound/complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and at least two dependent clauses.
FalseTrue
12. Click Submit to see how you did. Return to the webpage and review its information if you get any of the questions wrong. You can retake the quiz by refreshing the page. You can also change your answers at any time.
E-mail the Writing Center with any questions at writingsupport@waldenu.edu.
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Parte inferior do formulário
Conditionals and unreal tenses »Conditionals »IF, EVEN IF, ONLY IF, AS LONG AS, PROVIDED, SUPPOSING, UNLESS, BUT FOR, IF NECESSARY, IF SO, IN CASE etc.
IF, EVEN IF, ONLY IF, AS LONG AS, PROVIDED, SUPPOSING, UNLESS, BUT FOR, IF NECESSARY, IF SO, IN CASE etc.
clauses
conditionals
emphasis
inversion
IF
IF and WHEN
When can replace if in zero conditionals:
If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
When you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
In the other types of conditionals, we cannot use when instead of if.
EVEN IF
Even if emphasises that something will happen, would happen or would have happened whatever the condition:
Even if we leave right now, we still won't catch the train.
I wouldn't go into the water even if I could swim.
Even if we had booked our flight earlier, it wouldn't have been cheaper.
ONLY IF
Only if makes the condition more restrictive:
Acetaminophen is dangerous to children only if dosage is too high.
If the if-clause is first, the subject and the auxiliary in the main clause are inverted:
Only if you like classical music is it worth coming tonight.
SO/AS LONG AS, PROVIDING/PROVIDED (THAT)
So/As long as and providing/provided (that) can be used instead of if to express a condition. Note that providing/provided (that) is a bit formal:
You can stay here as long as you keep quiet.
Provided/Providing (that) the bills are paid, tenants will not be evicted.
SUPPOSE/SUPPOSING, WHAT IF
Suppose/supposing and what if can replace if, mainly in everyday conversation, and are often used without a main clause:
Suppose/supposing you won the lottery, what would you do?
Suppose/supposing you can't find a job?
What if you are not accepted to university? What will you do then?
UNLESS
Unless is followed by an affirmative verb to express "if ... not":
My leg's broken. I can't stand up unless you help me. (I can't stand up if you don't help me.)
IF IT WEREN'T FOR / IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR, BUT FOR
These expressions mean "without". They are used in second and third conditionals and are usually followed by a noun phrase:
If it weren't for Miguel, we wouldn't know what to do now. (Without Miguel...)
If it hadn't been for your foolishness, we wouldn't have got lost. (If you hadn't been such a fool...)
But for your help, I would have been in big trouble. (Without your help... / If you hadn't helped me...)
IF IN DOUBT, IF POSSIBLE, IF NECESSARY etc.
We can make the if-clause shorter by omitting the subject and the verb be:
If (you are) in doubt, consult a dictionary.
In certain idiomatic expressions, the subject and be are normally omitted:
If necessary, you can call Jake at home.
I'd like a seat by the window if possible.
IF SO, IF NOT
If so and if not can stand for an if-clause which is understood from the context:
"According to the weather forecast, it might rain tomorrow." "If so, we'll go hiking another day."
I hope Peter gets here soon. If not, we'll have to start without him.
IN CASE and IF
An in case-clause gives a reason while an if-clause describes a condition:
I'll buy a sandwich in case I get hungry. (I'll buy a sandwich because I may get hungry later.)
I'll buy a sandwich if I get hungry. (I'll buy a sandwich when I get hungry.)
We can use should after in case:
Take an umbrella in case it should rain.