Types of Sentences Ms.

Amani BOUCHAREB

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

University of 08 Mai 1945 -Guelma- Semester: 03
Faculty of letters and languages Academic year: 2020/2021
Department of letters and English language Course: Grammar
Level: 2nd year
Ms. BOUCHAREB Amani
Groups: 4,5,8,9

Types of Sentences
Simple and Compound Sentences
There are four kinds of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. On this
sheet we will examine two of them: the simple sentence and the compound sentence.

A simple sentence expresses a complete thought. It is composed of one main or independent

clause. It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point.

EXAMPLE: Barbara returned the book to the library.

I. Punctuate these simple sentences.

1. we visited Aunt Mabel 4. No one arrived on time

2. Is Anna going with us 5. are you ready to go

3. john is absent today 6. he stole my book

A compound sentence is composed of two or more main or independent clauses joined by a

conjunction or a semicolon.

EXAMPLES: Billy sang a song, and the girls danced. Tommy is ill; he has the flu.

Compound Sentences with Coordinators

A compound sentence can be formed as follows:
Independent clause, + coordinator+ independent clause
There are seven coordinators, which are also called coordinating conjunctions. You can
remember them by the phrase FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)
(Punctuation note: There is a comma after the first independent clause.)

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Types of Sentences Ms. Amani BOUCHAREB

Coordinators (Coordinating Conjunctions)

To add a reason
for Japanese people live longer than most other nationalities, for they eat healthful diets.

To add a similar, equal idea

and They eat a lot of fish and vegetables, and they eat lightly.
To add a negative equal idea
nor They do not eat a lot of red meat, nor do they eat many dairy products.

Note: Nor means “and not.” It joins two negative independent clauses. Notice that question word order is used after
nor.
To add an opposite idea
but Diet is one factor in how long people live, but it is not the only factor.

To add an alternative possibility

or However, people should limit the amount of animal fat in their diets, or they risk getting heart disease.

To add an unexpected or surprising continuation

Cigarette smoking is a factor in longevity, yet Japanese and other long-lived Asians have a very high rate of tobacco
yet
use.

To add an expected result

so Doctors say that stress is another longevity factor, so try to avoid stress if you wish to live a longer life.

Compound Sentences with Conjunctive Adverbs

A second way to form a compound sentence is as follows:
Independent clause; + conjunctive adverb, + independent clause
Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater; therefore, food cooks faster in salt
water.
Punctuation note: Put a semicolon before and a comma after the conjunctive adverb.

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II. Punctuate the sentences with either a comma before the conjunction or with a semicolon.
1. The signal was given and the race began.

2. Everyone knew the answer yet no one responded to the question.

3. The coach signaled Johnson slid home with the winning run.

4. Nolan and I were never able to go something always interfered.

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III. Indicate whether each group of words is a simple sentence (S) or a compound sentence (C).

Punctuate wherever necessary.

1. One summer day Mary and her children went to the zoo.

2. The tornado destroyed the small town but it completely rebuilt in five years.

3. Everyone associated with the company supported the project.

4. I recognized him but he pretended not to see me.

5. The highway was blocked cars were backed up for miles.

6. Many ancient tribes contributed to our civilization.

Complex and Compound-Complex

A complex sentence is composed of one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.

main clause subordinate clause

EXAMPLE: I had no plans for the future when I reached my senior year.

If the subordinate clause comes before the main clause, a comma is needed to separate them.

subordinate clause main clause

EXAMPLE: When I reached my senior year, I had no plans for the future.

Complex Sentences with Adverb Clauses

An adverb clause acts like an adverb; that is, it tells where, when, why, and how. An adverb
clause begins with a subordinator, such as when, while, because, although, if, so, or that. It can
come before or after an independent clause.
[------------------------------------------DEPENDENT ADVERB CLAUSE----------------------------------------------------------] [---------------------INDEPENDENT CLAUSE---------------------]
Although women in the United States could own property, they could not vote until 1920.

[--------------------------------INDEPENDENT CLAUSE----------------------------] [--------------DEPENDENT ADVERB CLAUSE-------------------]

A citizen can vote in the United States when he or she is 18 years old.

Complex Sentences with Adjective Clauses

An adjective clause acts like an adjective; that is, it describes a noun or pronoun. An adjective
clause begins with a relative pronoun, such as who, whom, which, whose, or that, or with a
relative adverb, such as where or when. It follows the noun or pronoun it describes.
[----------------- DEPENDENT---------------]
I ADJECTIVE CLAUSE I
Men who are not married are called bachelors.
[--------------------DEPENDENT ADJECTIVE CLAUSE ---------------------------]
Last year we vacationed in Cozumel, which features excellent scuba diving.
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Complex Sentences with Noun Clauses

A noun clause begins with a wh- question word, that, whether, and sometimes if. A noun clause
acts like a noun; it can be either the subject or an object of the independent clause.
[---------------------------------------DEPENDENT NOUN CLAUS----------------------------------------------------------------------]
That there is a hole in the ozone layer of Earth’s atmosphere is well known.

[---------DEPENDENT---------]
| NOUN CLAUSE |
Scientists know what caused it.

In the first example, That there is a hole in the ozone layer of Earth’s atmosphere is the
subject of the verb is. In the second example, what caused it is the object of the verb know.

I. Underline the subordinate clauses in the sentences below. Insert a comma where necessary.

1. Although hobbies are fun they can be expensive.

2. John built model cars when he was in school.

3. Since she graduated Melanie has been offered many high-paying jobs.

4. Susie chose an art course because she likes to draw.

5. While we were on vacation our dog had twelve puppies.

6. The students enjoyed school until the final exams started.

7. Unless I hear otherwise I will be at your house tomorrow morning.

A compound-complex sentence contains two or more main clauses and one or more subordinate
clauses.

subordinate clause main clause main clause

EXAMPLE: When he cast his line into the river, he got a bite, but the fish stole his bait.

II. Draw a line under each subordinate clause and two lines under each main clause. Punctuate
wherever necessary.
1. As Matthew entered the room his brothers and sisters stood up and his mother
began to cry.
2. When we were children my brother liked to help my father at his workbench and I
liked to help mother in the kitchen.
3. When the river overflowed its banks Farmer Smith put his cows in the barn the
sheep were kept in the yard next to the house until the water went down.

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III. Punctuate the following sentences.

Step 1 Underline the independent clauses with a solid line and the dependent clauses with
a broken line.
Step 2 Add commas and/or semicolons as necessary.

1. Information and communication technology is reaching out to help people in the poorest countries
improve their lives for example fishermen on the Bay of Bengal can now receive online weather
reports that tell them when it is safe to go out.

2. Furthermore, when the fishermen bring in a boatload of fish they can find out the current market
prices for their fish, which will help them bargain with the middlemen to whom they sell their
catch.

3. The cost of the cheapest computer is at least $200 and since this is more than an individual
fisherman can afford several fishing villages together can pool their money and buy one to share.

4. The worldwide reach of the Internet is also providing employment opportunities in developing
countries and as greater numbers of people learn the technology these opportunities will expand.

5. When you call your U.S. bank you may find yourself speaking to a customer service
representative who is sitting in the Philippines or Puerto Rico and when you need technical
support for your home computer you will probably get help from a programmer in New Delhi.

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Sentence Practice

Identify the following sentence types using the abbreviation S for simple sentence, C for
compound sentence, and CX for complex, If the group of words is not a sentence, place an
F on the line for fragment. Separate the main and subordinate clauses. Punctuate
wherever necessary.

1. When she entered the auditorium Karen decided to sit up front

2. Since he enjoyed music he bought a season ticket to the symphony

3. They enrolled in many courses and they enjoyed all of them

4. People bought CD recordings when the musical ended

5. After many hours of intensive labor

6. We were not sure of the address so we used the directory

7. Our car, a real antique, goes 25 miles per hour

8. The manager bought a new car but he kept his old one

9. When she smiles her eyes are bright

10. No one recognized the man as he entered the room

11. Slowly and quietly the kitten played and played

12. Even when we were very afraid

13. I admire Kathy’s loyalty and Margaret’s thoughtfulness

14. Although the game was lost our team continued to try

15. Pete tried to find a new business partner

16. Yesterday we went shopping my grandmother went along

17. The skiers came in and sat near the fire

18. The students were from South Carolina

19. My brother is studying chemistry since father is a chemist

20. I keep trying to skate although I fall down constantly