Sentence
types
A simple sentence contains one clause (one verb and one subject).
For example:
- I ate dinner. (I = subject; ate = verb)
- The dog chased the cat. (the dog = subject; chased = verb)
A compound sentence contains two or more simple sentences linked by conjunctions (and, or, but).
For example:
- I like cheese but I prefer chocolate.
- The dog ran around the garden and then chased the cat up a tree.
A compound sentence has two or more clauses which each make sense on their own and have equal importance. They can be linked in this way because they contain similar ideas.
A complex sentence contains one main clause and one or more subordinate or dependent clauses.
For example:
-
I ate dinner, which consisted of soup and fish.
-
The dog, which belongs to my neighbour, ran round and round the garden.
-
Although I like fruit, I can't stand gooseberries.
The subordinate clauses, as highlighted, do not make sense on their own. They are dependent on the rest of the sentence. They do not, on their own, contain a subject, but they do give readers more information and make the content a little more interesting.
Clauses
All sentences must contain at least one main clause. A clause is a group of words, which contains a verb.
The man ran is a clause; it is also a sentence. It contains a subject (the man) and a verb (ran).
The sentence can be made longer by adding additional clauses:
- by using conjunctions (joining words)
The man ran out of the house and jumped into the waiting van.
- by using other linking words for additional points
The man, who had started the fire, ran out of the house, even though he was choking from the smoke, and jumped into the waiting van, which belonged to his brother.
Each additional clause contains a verb.
The man, who had started the fire, ran out of the house, even though he was choking from the smoke, and jumped into the waiting van, which belonged to his brother.
Other examples of joining or linking words are:
so but because if unless what when that while as