The Structure of a Sentence

Dependent Clause-

Because we were excited about the grammar lesson.

Independent Clause-

We were excited about the grammar lesson.

The Simple Sentence-

A simple sentence can be as short as one word:

Run!

Usually, however, the sentence has a subject as well as a predicate and both the subject and the predicate may have modifiers. All of the following are simple sentences, because each contains only one clause:

Melt!

Ice melts.

The ice melts quickly.

The ice on the river melts quickly under the warm March sun.

Lying exposed without its blanket of snow, the ice on the river melts quickly under the warm March sun.

A simple sentence can be quite long -- it is a mistake to think that you can tell a simple sentence from a compound sentence or a complex sentence simply by its length.

Simple Sentences with Compound Subjects and/or Verbs

Compound subject (two or more subjects related to the same verb):

Javier and his colleaguescollaborated on the research article.

Compound verb (two or more verbs related to the same subject):

Javierconducted the experiment and documented the results.

Compound subject with compound verb:

Javier, his colleagues, and their advisordrafted and revised the article several times.

The Compound Sentence-

co-coordinating conjunctions
and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet
correlating conjunctions
Either…or Neither…nor

Simple-Edgar Allen Poe is the father of the American short story.

Simple- He also created the first detective story.

Compound-Edgar Allen Poe is the father of the American short story, and he also

created the first detective story.

Compound sentences are very natural for English speakers -- small children learn to use them early on to connect their ideas and to avoid pausing (and allowing an adult to interrupt):

Today at school Mrs. Moore brought in her pet iguana, and she showed it to the class, and I got to pet it, and Kate held it, and we colored pictures of it, and it ate part of my carrot at lunch, and ...

Of course, this is an extreme example, but if you over-use compound sentences in written work, your writing might seem unfocused.

A compound sentence is most effective when you use it to create a sense of balance or contrast between two (or more) equally-important pieces of information:

Vanilla is a great flavor, but Chocolate is much more popular.

Choosing the Best Conjunction: One of the keys to using compound sentences effectively is choosing the appropriate conjunction.

1. Daon was cold, ______he put on a coat.
2. Maria tried to read a novel in French, ______it was too difficult.
3. To get from Vancouver to Victoria, you can fly, ______you can ride the ferry.
4. I bought a bottle of wine, ______we drank it together.
5. The waiter was not very nice, ______the food was delicious.
6. I went to buy a Rolling Stones CD, ______the shop didn't have it.
7. Anna needed some money, ______she took a part-time job.
8. There's so much rain lately! Maybe it's because of El Nino, ______maybe it's just

coincidence.

9. Julie has a guitar, ______she plays it really well.
10. The concert was cancelled, ______we went to a nightclub instead.

Commas and Semicolons in Compound Sentences

Place a comma in front of the coordinating conjunction when joining two independent clauses to construct a compound sentence.

I love pizza.Domino’s pizza tastes like cardboard.

I love pizza,butDomino’s pizza tastes like cardboard.

Place a semi-colon between two closely related independent clauses to construct a compound sentence.

Squirrels are dirty animals.They are one tail away from being rats.

Squirrels are dirty animals;they are one tail away from being rats.

Exception to the Rule: Place a semi-colon in front of the coordinating conjunction when either of the independent clauses already contains a comma.

My shirt, shoes and hat are soaked. They will dry quickly.

My shirt, shoes and hat are soaked;but they will dry quickly.

Make each of the following sets of independent clauses into compound sentences by adding the appropriate punctuation and conjunction.

The injury may have been significant. There is no excuse for playing that poorly.

______

I will visit my grandmother. I will buy her a gift on the way there.

______

I packed my flashlight, sleeping bag and tent. I feel like I have forgotten something.

______

Fred wants to make first chair. He practices for three hours every night.

______

Friday is picture day. I’m going to dye my hair purple.

______

Name: ______Period:______Date:______

Compound Sentence Combining Review #1

Using your notes, combine each of the following sentences following the appropriate rules of punctuation and usage.

The food looked tasty. It was way too expensive.

______

He will finish everything on her plate. He will eat off of yours, too.

______

The water level kept rising. The authorities issued a flood warning.

______

You must finish your work now. You will get a zero.

______

Peter’s status on the team is questionable. He may have lingering injury problems.

______

Philadelphia sports teams have a glorious past. Their present is questionable.

______

Todd was hesitant to talk at first. He found his voice by the end of the film.

______

Holden Caulfield failed to use introspection throughout his experiences. He did not

recognize the cause of many of his behaviors.

______

He idealizes childhood and children. He does not want to face the troubles that come with

being an adult.

______

A quarterback can pass, run or handoff to a running back. He cannot go out for a pass himself.

______

It’s fun. It’s also informative.

______

Michaela’s mother packed her lunch for her. She dropped it off at the front desk.

______

She is getting older. She has lost a step or two.

______

Vince is gaining valuable experience. His performance will improve as time goes on.

______

They picked a slow song. They wanted something everyone could dance to.

______

Semicolons and Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive Adverbs

accordingly / in fact
again / instead
also / likewise
besides / moreover
consequently / namely
finally / nevertheless
for example / otherwise
further / still
furthermore / that is
hence / then
however / therefore
indeed / thus

Name: ______Period:______Date:______

Compound Sentence Combining Review #2

Using your notes, combine each of the following sentences following the appropriate rules of punctuation and usage. Combine 5 sentences with a coordinating conjunction and five with a conjunctive adverb.

I want to go. I can’t go now.

______

It is very humid outside. I’m sweating like a pig.

______

My neighbors, who I have known for years, suddenly disappeared. I have no idea

where they went.

______

Pink Floyd is one of the greatest bands of all time. The Wall is one of the best

albums ever made.

______

The man sat by himself. He did not look lonely.

______

Baking bananas fulfill the role of the potato in tropical countries. They can be used in

all the same recipes.

______

Ray Bradbury is a man in his 90s. He modeled the 17 year-old Clarisse after himself.

______

Fahrenheit 451 is about book burning. It is also about freedom of thought. ______
He fears rejection. He criticizes people before he really knows them.

______

You can dance, sing or listen to music. You cannot play an instrument.

______

The Complex Sentence-has exactly one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause

Simple

My friend invited me to a party. I do not want to go.

Compound

My friend invited me to a party, but I do not want to go.

Complex

Although my friend invited me to a party, I do not want to go.

In the first example, there are two separate simple sentences: "My friend invited me to a party" and "I do not want to go." The second example joins them together into a single sentence with the coordinating conjunction "but," but both parts could still stand as independent sentences -- they are entirely equal, and the reader cannot tell which is most important. In the third example, however, the sentence has changed quite a bit: the first clause, "Although my friend invited me to a party," has become incomplete, or a dependent clause.

A complex sentence is very different from a simple sentence or a compound sentence because it makes clear which ideas are most important. When you write

My friend invited me to a party. I do not want to go.

or even

My friend invited me to a party, but I do not want to go.

The reader will have trouble knowing which piece of information is most important to you. When you write the subordinating conjunction "although" at the beginning of the first clause, however, you make it clear that the fact that your friend invited you is less important than, or subordinate, to the fact that you do not want to go.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions

after
although
as
as if
as long as
as though
because
before
even if
even though / if
if only
in order that
now that
once
rather than
since
so that
than
that / Though
till
unless
until
when
whenever
where
whereas
wherever
while

The Compound-Complex Sentence-contains two or more independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause

The package arrived in the morning, but the courier left before I could check the contents.

Review: Sentence Structure

Put all prepositional phrases in parenthesis, put a box around all coordinating conjunctions, circle all subordinating conjunctions and underline any subordinate clauses. Then, identify each sentence as simple, compound, complex or compound complex.

Examples: The music was good, but they sounded better on the album

Because his parents did not give him any spending money, he had to get a job.

After studying the examples, we will write sentences of our own and we will analyze their structure.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, but Toronto is the capital of Ontario.
Democracy is a noble goal; it is important, however, to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.
I do not own a Porsche.
Call your father as soon as you arrive in Antigonish.
I ate the sushi and left the restaurant.
Unless my girlfriend postpones her visit from Calgary, I will not have time to study for my exam.
Susanne wanted to be here, but she cannot come because her car is in the shop.
The football game was cancelled because it was raining.
The football game was cancelled because of the rain.
When the train arrives and if Ms. Langlois is on it, she will be served with a subpoena.