1. Sentence Structure
University of the Sacred Heart
Department of Humanities
Center for Language Development Across the Disciplines
LAD

2. Objective
To provide the student with pointers on how to construct sentences

3. Simple Sentence
A simple sentence has one subject and one predicate

4. Simple Sentence We went to San Juan yesterday.
Observe how a simple sentence is constructed:
We went to San Juan yesterday.

5. Simple Sentence We went to San Juan . Pronoun Verb
Prepositional phrase
We went to San Juan .
Simple subject
Complete predicate

6. Compound Sentence
A compound sentence has more than one part that can stand alone (independent clauses)
Independent clauses are connected by coordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs or a semi-colon.

7. Compound Sentence We went to San Juan, and
most of us danced all night.

8. Compound Sentence We went to San Juan,
Subject
Verb
Prepositional phrase
We went to San Juan,
Predicate
Coordinating
Conjunction
and most of us danced all night .
Subject
Modifying phrase
Verb

9. Compound Sentences
My parents caught a severe cold; consequently, they had to cancel their vacation.
Some people like basketball; others prefer baseball.
Conjunctive
Adverb
Semi-colon

10. Complex Sentence
A complex sentence has at least two parts: one that can stand alone and another one that cannot
The part that cannot stand alone is linked to the rest of the sentence by a subordinating conjunction

11. Complex Sentence Since my boyfriend and I wanted to have fun,
we went to San Juan yesterday.

12. Complex Sentence Since we wanted to have fun,
Part that cannot stand alone
Subordinating
Conjunction
Subject
Predicate
we went to San Juan yesterday.

13. Compound-Complex Sentence
This type of sentence has more than one part that can stand alone, and at least one that cannot
Notice how the different conjunctions link the different parts of this sentence

14. Compound-Complex Sentence
Since we wanted to have fun,
my boyfriend and I went to San Juan yesterday,
and we danced all night.

15. Compound-Complex Sentence
Subordinating
Conjunction
Since we wanted to have fun,
Part that cannot stand alone
my boyfriend and I went to San Juan,
Predicate
Subject
Coordinating
Conjunction
and we danced all night.

16. For More Information Index English Grammar and Composition
Tons of Fun with Grammar
Grammar Book Table of Contents
cnt_gram.html

17. Thank You Center for Language Development Across the Disciplines
Prepared by: Thalia N. Nazario-Santiago
Coordinator for the Center for Languages and Cultures
April-June 2003
Revised by: Patricia Kidd
August 2004
Revised by: Prof. Delia Serrano
January 2005