Types of Sentences According to Structure

Sentence - Is a set of words that contains:

a subject (what the sentence is about, the topic of the sentence) and

a predicate (what is said about the subject)

Clause - Is a subject plus a verb. The subject is the entity “doing” the action of the sentence and the
verb is the action that subject completes.

Subject + Verb = Complete Thought

Examples:

Romeo speaks. = Complete Thought

Juliet baked cookies. = Complete Thought

Independent Clause

Can stand alone in a sentence. It contains a subject and a verb in its smallest form.  A clause may also
include modifiers and a verb predicate.

Subject + Verb (predicate) = Complete Thought

Examples:

Romeo speaks loudly. = Complete Thought

I eat pineapple. = Complete Thought

Dependent Clause

Contain a subject and verb. However, they cannot stand alone as an independent thought. They must
be joined with an independent clause to be grammatically correct.

Subject + Verb (predicate) = Complete Thought

Examples:

Everynight before going to the bed

Everyday after school

Types of sentences according to structure

Simple Sentence

 Consists of one Independent Clause and there is no Dependent Clause.

Example:

• Ann bakes cake.

• I read books.

• MJ likes May.

Compound Sentence

 is two (or more) independent clauses joined by a conjunction, conjuctive adverb or semi-colon.

Coordinating Conjunctions

• FANBOYS

• For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

Conjunctive Adverb

However, Otherwise, Still, Therefore

Example:

• Ann likes rock and Iya likes pop.

• I read books; Ben reads novels.

• Belle practiced the guitar; meanwhile, her brother practiced the piano.

Complex Sentence

 Consists of an independent clause plus a dependent clause. 

Subordinating Conjunctions

after, although, as, because, before, how, if, once, since, than, that, though, till, until, when, where,
whether, while

Relative Pronouns

Who, whom, what, whose, which, that, why

Example:

• The football match was cancelled, because it was raining.

• Stay in the bath until the phone rings.

Compound - Complex Sentence

 Consists of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Example:

• Lea didn't come because he was ill so Mary was not happy.

• He left in a hurry after he got a phone call but he came back five minutes later.