Simple, Compound, Complex, & Compound Complex Adding Variety and Concision to Writing

Why do we need sentence variety? To make your writing more interesting! Too many simple sentences will make your writing seem choppy and immature. Too many long sentences are hard to understand.

A Sentence-type Flowchart Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES NO YES simple compound complex compound-complex

Simple Sentences A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences, subjects are in pink, and verbs are in green.  A. Some students like to study in the mornings.

Some students like to study in the mornings. Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES simple

Simple Sentences A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences, subjects are in pink, and verbs are in green.  A. Some students like to study in the mornings. B. Joe and Arthur play football every afternoon. C. Alicia goes to the library and studies every day. Compound subject Compound verb

Compound Sentences A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator (a conjunction). What are conjunctions? (remember “Conjunction Junction”?) F.A.N.B.O.Y.S. (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) Except for very short sentences, conjunctions are always preceded by a comma In the following sentences, subjects are in pink, verbs are in green, conjunctions are in blue. A.  I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English. 

I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English. Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES compound

Compound Sentences A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator (a conjunction). What are conjunctions? (remember “Conjunction Junction”?) F.A.N.B.O.Y.S. (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) Except for very short sentences, conjunctions are always preceded by a comma In the following sentences, subjects are in pink, verbs are in green, conjunctions are in blue. A.  I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.  B.  Tom played baseball, so Maria went shopping.  C.  Tom played baseball, for Maria went shopping.

Complex Sentences A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which. (These are just examples—there are more!) “A WHITE BUS” Subordinators A : after, although, as WH : when, whereas, while, whenever, wherever, whether or not I : in case, if T : though E : even though, even if B : before, because U : until, unless S : since, so (that)

Complex Sentences In the following complex sentences, subjects are in pink, verbs are in green, and the subordinators and their commas (when required) are in brown. A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page. 

When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.  Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES complex

Complex Sentences In the following complex sentences, subjects are in pink, verbs are in green, and the subordinators and their commas (when required) are in brown. A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.  B. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.  C. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow. D. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies.  E. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they finished studying. Notice: When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as in sentences A and D, a comma is required at the end of the dependent clause. When the independent clause begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences B, C, and E, no comma is required. If a comma is placed before the subordinators in sentences B, C, and E, it is wrong.

It stormed while we were out and delayed our trip home, so we went to bed right after our return. Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES compound-complex

3. What forms are your sentences 3. What forms are your sentences? Do you have at least two of each of the following? Find and mark each type (3a, 3b, etc). simple sentences compound sentences complex sentences compound-complex sentences

I found the shirt hanging on the back of a chair in the cook shed when we came home from the funeral. Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES NO YES simple compound complex compound-complex

I found the shirt hanging on the back of a chair in the cook shed when we came home from the funeral. It had been a beautiful day when he last wore it. We had cut the last of the corn, gathered pumpkins, and picked the last of the green beans. Then he took the kids down the ridge to pick apples, and the warmth of the day combined with the heat from his labor forced him to remove it. 3a

It had been a beautiful day when he last wore it. Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES NO YES simple compound complex compound-complex

I found the shirt hanging on the back of a chair in the cook shed when we came home from the funeral. It had been a beautiful day when he last wore it. We had cut the last of the corn, gathered pumpkins, and picked the last of the green beans. Then he took the kids down the ridge to pick apples, and the warmth of the day combined with the heat from his labor forced him to remove it. 3a 3c

We had cut the last of the corn, gathered pumpkins, and picked the last of the green beans.  Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES NO YES simple compound complex compound-complex

I found the shirt hanging on the back of a chair in the cook shed when we came home from the funeral. It had been a beautiful day when he last wore it. We had cut the last of the corn, gathered pumpkins, and picked the last of the green beans. Then he took the kids down the ridge to pick apples, and the warmth of the day combined with the heat from his labor forced him to remove it. 3a 3c 3a

Then he took the kids down the ridge to pick apples, and the warmth of the day combined with the heat from his labor forced him to remove it. Does the sentence have a subordinate (dependent) clause? NO YES Does the sentence have more than one independent clause? NO YES NO YES simple compound complex compound-complex

I found the shirt hanging on the back of a chair in the cook shed when we came home from the funeral. It had been a beautiful day when he last wore it. We had cut the last of the corn, gathered pumpkins, and picked the last of the green beans. Then he took the kids down the ridge to pick apples, and the warmth of the day combined with the heat from his labor forced him to remove it. 3a 3c 3a 3b

Love Is Stronger Than Death – Analyzing Sentence Style 1. How long are your sentences? Count the words in your paper, the number of sentences, and divide to arrive at an average sentence length. Write that number below. 594 words. 35 sentences. Avg. length = 16.97 2. Find your longest sentence: _____ words. What is the length of the sentence before it? _____ words After it? _____ words If that long sentence is not either preceded or followed by a short sentence, change one of them to a short sentence. Why is this more effective? Longest – 30 words. Before – 21 words. After – 11 words. The next morning, I went out to the cook shed for a few moments of meditation before the children woke up. Some of our goats and sheep had taken shelter in the shed from the previous day’s storm, and they had knocked Dusty’s shirt off the chair and trampled it underfoot. I grabbed it up, but its wonderful, comforting smell was gone.

594 words. 35 sentences. Avg. length = 16.97 The next morning, I went out to the cook shed for a few moments of meditation before the children woke up. Some of our goats and sheep had taken shelter in the shed from the previous day’s storm, and they had knocked Dusty’s shirt off the chair and trampled it underfoot. I grabbed it up, but its wonderful, comforting smell was gone. 21 words 30 words 11 words

I found the shirt hanging on the back of a chair in the cook shed when we came home from the funeral. It had been a beautiful day when he last wore it. We had cut the last of the corn, gathered pumpkins, and picked the last of the green beans. Then he took the kids down the ridge to pick apples, and the warmth of the day combined with the heat from his labor forced him to remove it. 3a 22 words 11 words 3c 3a 18 words 3b 29 words

5. Count the number of parallel constructions 5. Count the number of parallel constructions. If you have fewer than three in your paper, rewrite three sentences so they contain parallel elements. Mark those sentences.

I found the shirt hanging on the back of a chair in the cook shed when we came home from the funeral. It had been a beautiful day when he last wore it. We had cut the last of the corn, gathered pumpkins, and picked the last of the green beans. Then he took the kids down the ridge to pick apples, and the warmth of the day combined with the heat from his labor forced him to remove it. 3a 3c 3a 5 3b

6. How do your sentences begin 6. How do your sentences begin? Mark each sentence beginning (6a, 6b, etc.) and then list the number of each below. subject beginnings: _____ adverb beginnings: _____ prepositional beginnings: _____ gerund beginnings: _____ subordinate clause beginnings: _____ participial beginnings: _____ infinitive beginnings: _____ If more than half your sentences begin with the subject, rewrite so that this is not true, and be sure to have at least one of each type above.

I found the shirt hanging on the back of a chair in the cook shed when we came home from the funeral. It had been a beautiful day when he last wore it. We had cut the last of the corn, gathered pumpkins, and picked the last of the green beans. Then he took the kids down the ridge to pick apples, and the warmth of the day combined with the heat from his labor forced him to remove it. 6a 3a 6a 3c 3a 5 6a 6b 3b

There it hung on that old, straight-back chair, mocking me with its emptiness. With a cry, I snatched it up. It smelled of sunshine and fresh air, that wonderful outdoorsy scent of my husband emanating from this final source. I buried my head in it and cried, as I had been unable to cry before. 3a 6b 6c 3a 6a 3a 6a 3c