GRAMMAR (3) Sentence Structures: Simple, Compound, Complex, & Compound Complex

Experienced writers use a variety of sentences to make their writing interesting and lively. Too many simple sentences, for example, will sound choppy and immature while too many long sentences will be difficult to read and hard to understand.

A. Simple
The most basic type of sentence is the simple sentence. A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought.

Example: We arrived early today.

A simple sentence can be as short as one word.

Example: Run!
Usually, however, the sentence has a subject as well as a predicate and both the subject and the predicate may have modifiers. All of the following are simple sentences, because each contains only one clause: Examples:

Melt! Ice melts. The ice melts quickly. The ice on the river melts quickly under the warm March sun. Lying exposed without its blanket of snow, the ice on the river melts quickly under the warm March sun.
As you can see, a simple sentence can be quite long -- it is a mistake to think that you can tell a simple sentence from a compound sentence or a complex sentence simply by its length. In written work, simple sentences can be very effective for grabbing a reader's attention or for summing up an argument, but you have to use them with care: too many simple sentences can make your writing seem childish. When you do use simple sentences, you should add transitions to connect them to the surrounding sentences.

Example: Simple Canada is a rich country. Simple However, it has many poor people.
(Transition)

B. Compound
A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator (coordinating conjunction). The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. (Helpful hint: The first letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.) Except for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a comma.

(((( Combining Clauses ))))

Comma + coordinating conjunction
, and , for , but , yet , or , so , nor

d Method 1
Independent clause Independent clause

Example: We arrived early, so we found a good place to sit.

semicolon
;

d Method 2
Independent clause Independent clause

Example: We arrived early; we found a good place to sit.

d Method 3
Independent clause Independent clause

Semicolon + adverbial conjunction + comma

; also, ; in addition, ; besides, ; furthermore, ; likewise, ; moreover, ; in fact, ; indeed, ; for example, ; for instance, ; however, ; nonetheless, ; instead, ; meanwhile, ; otherwise, ; as a result, ; accordingly, ; consequently, ; therefore, ; nevertheless,

Example: We arrived early; consequently, we found a good place to sit.

C. Complex
A complex sentence has one or more dependent clauses (i.e. noun clause, adjective clause, or adverb clause) joined to an independent clause by a subordinator (subordinating conjunction) or a relative clause.

(((( Combining Clauses ))))

d Method 1
Independent clause no punctuation

Subordinating Conjunction (or Relative Pronoun) + Dependent Clause

after as long as as before since though unless if because whereas provided that so that although until even though rather than when whenever where wherever as if as though whether while Relative pronouns: that which who whom whose Whoever whomever

Example: We found a good place to sit since we arrived early. Example: I cant believe that he gave this excuse! d Method 2 Subordinating Conjunction (or Relative Pronoun) + Dependent Clause
after as long as as before since though unless if because whereas provided that so that although until even though rather than when whenever where wherever as if as though whether while Relative pronouns: that which who whom whose Whoever whomever

comma
, Independent clause

Example: Since we arrived early today, we found a good place to sit. Example: That he gave this excuse is unbelievable! (very short sentence no
comma)

D. Compound-Complex
Rather than joining two simple sentences together, a coordinating conjunction sometimes joins two complex sentences, or one simple sentence and one complex sentence. In this case, the sentence is called a compound-complex sentence.

Example: The package arrived in the morning, but the courier left before I could check the contents.
(independent clause) (coordinator) (independent clause) (subordinator) (dependent clause)