Overview
This lecture explains the four main types of English sentences—simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex—emphasizing their structure, differences, and importance for effective writing.
Sentence Types Overview
- Using a mix of sentence types makes writing more interesting and easier to follow.
- The four main sentence types are: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.
Simple Sentences
- A simple sentence has one independent clause.
- An independent clause has a subject and a verb, and expresses a complete idea.
- Adding details (phrases, extra information) does not change it from a simple sentence unless another clause is added.
- Example: "Layla studied biology." is a simple sentence.
Compound Sentences
- A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (e.g., and, but, or, so).
- Each part could be a separate sentence but is connected for variety.
- It is grammatically possible but not recommended to have more than two or three independent clauses in one sentence.
Complex Sentences
- A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
- A dependent clause has a subject and verb but cannot stand alone.
- Dependent clauses include noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses.
- Example: "John retired when he turned 65." (adverb clause)
Compound-Complex Sentences
- A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
- Example: "Bill voted against the measure because he felt that it wasn't strong enough, but he also offered to continue discussions, which we will do next week."
- This type may include all three forms of dependent clauses.
Identifying Clauses in Sentences
- Find the subject and the tense verb to locate independent clauses.
- Dependent clauses often start with conjunctions like because, when, that, which, or who.
- Clauses can act as subjects, objects, or modifiers within sentences.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Clause — a group of words with a subject and a verb.
- Independent Clause — stands alone as a complete sentence.
- Dependent Clause — cannot stand alone; adds information to the independent clause.
- Coordinating Conjunction — connects independent clauses (e.g., and, but, or, so).
- Noun Clause — a dependent clause acting as a noun.
- Adjective Clause — a dependent clause describing a noun.
- Adverb Clause — a dependent clause modifying a verb, adjective, or adverb.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Complete the quiz on sentence types at www.engvid.com.
- Practice writing sentences of each type for better variety in your writing.