SIMPLE, COMPOUND,
COMPLEX, AND COMPOUND-
COMPLEX SENTENCES
Adapted from Inside English (Chapter 2, Section 2)
Section one review:
Can You Answer?
A clause is a group of words that contains _________________________.
A main clause is a group of words that contains at least one subject and
one verb and that ___________________________________________.
A subordinate clause is a group of words that contains at least one
subject and one verb but that ________________________________ .
Subordinate clauses begin with ________________________________.
Adverb subordinate clauses usually modify verbs and begin with
subordinators that answer ____________________________.
Adjective subordinate clauses modify nouns or pronouns and begin with
____________________________
Section one review:
ANSWERS
A clause is a group of words that contains at least one subject and at
least one verb.
A main clause is a group of words that contains at least one subject and
one verb and that expresses a complete idea.
A subordinate clause is a group of words that contains at least one
subject and one verb but that does not express a complete idea.
Subordinate clauses begin with subordinators.
Adverb subordinate clauses usually modify verbs and begin with
subordinators that answer when, why, how, to what degree.
Adjective subordinate clauses modify nouns or pronouns and begin with
that or which.
Howd you do?
If you are still struggling with these concepts, please go
back and review the content from chapter 1 (if necessary)
and Chapter 2 Section One before continuing.
CHAPTER 2, SECTION 2
PART 1:
SIMPLE SENTENCES
COMPOUND SENTENCES
o r iz ed
c at eg d
es a re b e r a n
t en c e n u m
Sen to t h n t a in .
d in g e y c o
accor clauses th
y p e o f
t
Why is this important?
riety!
Va
Readers getbored when they see the same sentence pattern
repeated over and over in a piece of writing.
Vary your sentence patterns!
EMPHASIS!
Selecting which sentence pattern to use
can help you emphasize
one important idea over another.
grammaR!
w l e d ge
t, k n o
it o r no t t e r ns
l i e v e c e pa
B e s e n te n m a jor
f ba sic o i d the
o o u av r o rs
el p y u re e r
il l h u c t
w
nc e str n n ing
sen te be g i
o n to
c o m m rs.
w r ite
THERE ARE FOUR
SENTENCE PATTERNS
SIMPLE SENTENCE
COMPOUND SENTENCE
COMPLEX SENTENCE
COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE
Dont confuse
simple
with short or
uncomplicated
simple is a
grammatical
concept referring
to the number of
clauses in a sentence.
A simple sentence
contains
one main clause
The basic pattern for the simple sentence is
SUBJECT-VERB (S-V)
THE S-V PATTERN MAY VARY, DEPENDING ON
THE ADDITION OF PHRASES, MODIFIERS, Word
order, and compound subjects or verbs
Here are some variations For example
Subject-verb (SV) The plane flew over the stadium.
Verb-Subject (VS) Over the stadium flew the plane.
Subject-Subject-Verb (SSV) The plane and the helicopter flew
over the stadium.
The plane flew over the stadium
Subject-Verb-Verb (SVV) and turned north.
Subject-Subject-Verb-Verb (SSVV) The plane and the helicopter flew
over the stadium and turned
north.
A simple sentence can be brief
It rained.
OR IT CAN BE rather LONG
Enraged by the taunting of the boys, the huge gorilla
leaped from his enclosure and chased them up a hill
and down a pathway to the exit gates.
All that matters is that it follows
the pattern: one main clause (S-V)
It rained.
Enraged by the taunting of the boys, the
huge gorilla leaped from his
enclosure and chased them up a hill
and down a pathway to the exit gates.
practice
Create your own simple sentences following the pattern
suggested in your book on pages 97-98.
Compare your sentences with the sample sentences
provided in the back of the book.
P O U N D
E C O M
TH E N C E
SE N T
Two or more main clauses,
but no subordinate clauses
THE MAIN CLAUSES
MAY BE JOINED IN
ONE OF THREE
WAYS
First
MAIN CLAUSES JOINED BY A
COMMA PLUS A COORDINATING
CONJUNCTION.
Maria registered for all of her
classes by mail, but Brad was
not able to do so.
SECOND
MAIN CLAUSES JOINED
BY A SEMI-COLON.
Maria registered for all of her
classes by mail; Brad was not
able to do so.
Third
MAIN CLAUSES JOINED BY A
SEMICOLON AND A
TRANSITIONAL WORD OR
PHRASE. SUCH TRANSITIONAL
WORDS MUST BE FOLLOWED BY
A COMMA.
Maria registered for all of her
classes by mail; however, Brad
was not able to do so.
1. WRITE COMPOUND SENTENCES OF YOUR
OWN BY DOING PRACTICE ON PAGE 99. BE SURE
TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!
2. DO PRACTICE ON PAGE 100 BY INDENTIFYING
SENTENCES AS EITHER SIMPLE OR COMPOUND.
FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!
YOUR TURN!
M P LE X
THE C O
TE N C E
SE N
ONLY ONE MAIN
CLAUSE
PLUS
AT LEAST ONE
SUBORDINATE
CLAUSE
NOTE
THE SUBORDINATE
CLAUSE IN A
COMPLEX SENTENCE
MAY OCCUR AT ANY
PLACE IN THE
SENTENCE.
Before the main clause
Subordinate clause
S V
After he retired from the army,
S V
Eisenhower ran for president.
Main clause
AFTER the main clause
Main clause
S V S HV MV
Rugby is a sport that I have played only once.
Subordinate clause
INTERRUPTING the
main clause
Main clause Subordinate clause
S S V
My grandfather, who fought in World War II,
V
wrote a book about his experiences.
Main clause, continued
YOU GET THE IDEA
WRITE complex SENTENCES OF YOUR
OWN BY DOING PRACTICE ON PAGE 101.
BE SURE TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!
YOUR TURN!
U N D -
C O M P O
THE TE N C E
E X S E N
C OM P L
The compound-complex
sentence is a combination of
the compound and the
complex sentence patterns.
It is made up of two or more
main clauses and one or more
subordinate clauses.
Example of a compound-
complex sentences
Although he was exhausted,
Dominic cooked dinner for his mother, and
after dinner, he cleaned the kitchen.
Analyze this, Sherlock!
Can you identify the two main clauses and the subordinate clause?
Dont advance to the next slide until youve analyzed this sentence on scratch paper.
Example of a compound-
complex sentences
Subordinate clause
S V (ADJ)
Although he was exhausted,
V Main clause # 1
S PP
Dominic cooked dinner for his mother, and
PP S V
after dinner, he cleaned the kitchen.
Main clause # 2
o u do?
owd y
H
WRITE COMPOUND-complex SENTENCES
OF YOUR OWN BY DOING PRACTICE ON
PAGEs 102-103.
analyze sentence patterns on page 103.
follow directions!
YOUR TURN!
End show
Adapted from Inside English (Form B), by William Salomone and Stephen McDonald
Created by Elaine Minamide for English 10
Palomar College
Updated Fall 2016
