English Grammar Simplified
Let us learn about sentence and their types available in English grammar.
Sentences are combination or package of words that come together to express a meaningful and complete thought.
We categorize sentences into different types based on different criteria,
If the categorization is done based on sentence structure we have below 4 types of sentences.
Simple Sentence
Compound Sentence
Complex Sentence
Compound –Complex Sentence.
Let’s try to understand the above 4 different types of sentences in depth.
Simple Sentence
A simple sentence is nothing but an independent clause.
The independent clause stands on its own and provides a meaningful idea which is called our simple sentence.
Before understanding an independent clause let’s understand what is a clause.
A clause is just a language junk that has a subject and a verb.
All sentences are clauses but not all clauses are sentences.
It is possible to have a subject and a verb but it does not stand of its own is called a dependent clause.
The dependent clause provides extra information that is not necessary for understanding the sentence.
Example:
· I kicked the ball
Here I is subject and kicked is verb
Simple sentences can have a compound subject as well.
Example:
· Stefee and I kicked the ball.
Stefee and I are compound subjects while kicked is the verb.
Compound Sentence
The second type of sentence among 4 types is the compound one.
As the name suggests it is a kind of sentence that is formed by the combination of at least two independent clauses.
Those clauses are joined by using coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.
Let’s make a compound sentence with an above simple sentence or independent clause.
Example:
I kicked the ball and it hit the dog.
Below two sentences are independent clauses that can stand on their own and they are joined together with the help of coordinating conjunction AND.
I hit the ball.
It hit the dog.
I went shopping; I bought a banana cake.
Below two sentences are independent calluses that can stand on their own and they are joined together with the help of a semicolon.
I went shopping
I bought a banana cake
There are 7 coordinating conjunctions and an easy way to remember them is FANBOYS
F – for
A – and
N – nor
B – but
O – or
Y – yet
S – so
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence is a combination of a subordinate clause and an independent clause.
Let us understand what is a subordinating clause.
A subordinating clause is a group of words having a subject and verb but does not express a complete meaning or thought.
Example:
As it was raining.
While she was in school.
The above two examples are subordinating clauses as they do not give a complete meaning or thought about something.
These sentences can be meaningful if we combine them with an independent clause.
I came back home as it was raining.
I was studying in college while she was in school.
Compound-complex sentence
The fourth type of sentence is the compound-complex sentence.
As the name suggests these kinds of sentences are the combination of a compound sentence and a complex sentence.
A compound sentence has two simple sentences joined by a conjunction.
A complex sentence has a simple sentence and a dependent clause or subordinate clause.
So a compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and one subordinate clause.
Example:
I don’t like movies because they are not fact, so I haven’t subscribed to any movie channel.
The sun is shining through the clouds, so I think that we can for a picnic.
The above two examples have one compound sentence and one complex sentence.
