Four Types of Sentences

FOUR TYPES OF SENTENCES

1. Simple: (ONE complete thought) Subject(s) + Verb(s)

A. John runs outside.

B. John runs and jumps outside. (multiple verbs)

C. John and Mary run outside. (multiple subjects)

D. John and Mary run and jump outside. (multiple subjects and multiple verbs, but only 1

complete thought)

2. Compound: (TWO complete thoughts) S + V PLUS another S +V

**Two complete thoughts are separated by a comma and a CONJUNCTION (and, but, or).

Example A. John runs outside, and Mary jumps outside.

Example B. John runs outside, but Mary jumps inside.

3. Complex: (ONE complete thought PLUS ONE dependent thought)

**The dependent thought begins with a SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION (S.C.)

** The S.C. is not a complete thought-- it is a fragment-- yet it has a subject and verb.

**The S.C. will typically begin with one of the following words:

after, although, as, because, before,

even if, even though, if , in order that, once, provided that, rather than,

since, so, so that, though, unless, until

when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether, while, why

**When a S.C. is combined with a subject and verb, it is called a Subordinate CLAUSE.

**When a Subordinate CLAUSE begins a sentence, it must be followed by a comma, then a complete thought.

Example A. After John went home, he finished his homework.

Example B. Because John and Mary went home, Joe and Nan did their homework. (multiple subjects)

Example C. Even if John went home and studied, Nan would call and text him. (multiple sub. & verbs)

** When the S.C. follows the complete thought, then no comma is needed.

Example D. John will go provided that he is not late.

4. Compund Complex: (TWO complete thoughts PLUS ONE dependent thought)

Example A. John still studies his homework, but he is not home when Mary works.

Example B. When Mary works, John is not home, but he still studies his homework.

Example C. John is not home when Mary works, but he still studies his homework.

**In all these sentences, PREPOSITIONS can be added. A preposition shows a relationship between two nouns (such as time, location, manner, mean, state or condition).

** Prepositions are followed by a noun. Together, they are called a PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.

Examples: In the store…by the corner… of the people … below the table

**PHRASES have nouns but NO verbs… CLAUSES have both a noun AND a verb.

**Common prepositions:

aboard, about, above, across, after, around, as, at

before, behind, below, beneath, beside(s), between, beyond, by

despite, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into

near, of, off, on, onto, opposite, outside, over, past

since, through, to, toward(s), under, underneath, until, up, upon

with, within, without

** If the sentence begins with a prepositional phrase, typically it requires a comma.

Example A. Inside his wallet, John has twenty dollars.

**If the prepositional phrase is elsewhere in the sentence, it typically does NOT need a comma.

Example B. John has twenty dollars in his wallet.

Example C. John has twenty dollars in his wallet, but Steve doesn’t have any money.

(LONG SENTENCE RULE: (The 222 rule) Max per sent. 2 conjunctions, 2 preps. and 2 subordinate clause.)