English 100: Interactive Writing: Sentences

With thanks to Judi B. Evans, MLIS, MA, who researched and designed this guide.

Simple

A simple sentence is an independent clause (a single, fully expressed concept, that is not dependent on or related to any other expression) which contains a subject and a verb.  In the examples below, the subject is in red CAPS and the verb is in blue italics.

The BOOK was wet

JAKE slept through class.

SHAKIA finished her paper.

Complex

A complex sentence is formed by adding one or more dependent clauses to an independent clause by using a subordinating conjunction (a term that signals the subordinate, or dependent, nature of the dependent clause on the rest of the sentence) or a relative pronoun.  You can identify which part of the sentence is the subordinate, or dependent, clause by looking for the part that doesn't make sense on it's own.  

Subordinators - because, since, after, although, when, ect.

Relative pronouns - that, who, which, ect.  

In the examples below the subjects are in red CAPS, the verbs in blue italics, and the subordinators/relative pronouns in 'purple single quotes'.  The dependent, or subordinate, clause is underlined.

'Because' the BOOK was wet, the LIBRARIAN frowned.

'Since' JAKE slept through class, HE received an F.

SHAKIA finished her paper 'after' SHE completed her research.

Compound

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses which are joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).  The coordinator almost always follows a comma and acts as a kind of hinge to join the two independent clauses into a single thought.  In the examples below, the subjects are in red CAPS, the verbs blue italics, and the coordinators are in "green double quotes".

The BOOK was wet, “and” the PAGES smelled strange.

JAKE slept through class, “so” MIKE presented alone.

SHAKIA finished her paper, “but” the DOG ate it.

As you saw in the Complex sentence format, sentences are sometimes formed using a combination of elements.  The complex sentence is made up of a dependent clause added to an independent clause.  Similarly, a Compound-Complex sentence is made when a complex sentence is added to a simple sentence. 

• Because the book was wet, the librarian frowned, but the damage wasn't too severe.

The complex sentence "Because the book was wet, the librarian frowned" is added to the simple sentence "The damage wasn't too severe" by using the coordinating conjunction "but." 

• Because the book was wet, the librarian frowned,

• but

• the damage wasn't too severe.

In addition to the coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), a complex sentence can also be joined to a simple sentence using a Conjunctive Adverb such as: furthermore, meanwhile, therefore, hence, moreover, thus, however, or nevertheless. 

• Jake slept through class, leaving Mike to present alone, therefore it would be unfair for Jake to receive an A.