Sentence Structure Study Guide
KeyI / Independent Clause (another name for a simple sentence)
c / coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
D / Dependent Clause (a phrase that begins with a subordinating conjunction)
Subordinating conjunctions / after, if, although, when, as, though, because, unless, while, before, provided, until, since, even
Simple Sentence: I
A sentence including a subject, verb and end punctuation
1. / I went to the store today.
2. / We ate a ton of food!
Compound Sentence: I,cI or I;I
A sentence with two or more independent clauses
I,cI / I;I
1.
/ I went to the store today, and I bought some milk. / 1.
/ I went to the store today; I bought some milk.
2. / Julian sent me an e-mail, but I can’t open it. / 2. / Julian sent me an e-mail; I can’t open it.
Complex Sentence: D,I or ID
A sentence with an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses
D, I / ID
1. / After we went out to eat, we stopped to get dessert. / 1. / We stopped to get dessert after we went out to eat.
2. / Because you already took the test, you can go to the library. / 2. / You can go to the library because you already took the test.
Compound-Complex Sentences: D,I;I or D,I,cI or ID,cI or ID;I
A sentence with two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses
D,I;I / After we went out to eat, we stopped to get dessert; I had a banana split.
D,I,cI / After we went out to eat, we stopped to get dessert, and I had a banana split.
ID,cI / We stopped to get dessert after we went out to eat, and I had a banana split.
ID;I / We stopped to get dessert after we went out to eat; I had a banana split.