Independent Clause - Has a Subject and Verb and Can Stand by Itself

Sentence Variety Guide

Independent clause - Has a subject and verb and can stand by itself.

He went to the store

Dependent clause - (Has a subordinating conjunction)

Has a subject and a verb but can't stand alone.

When he found the shopping list

Coordinating Conjunctions - for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (remember FANBOYS)

Subordinating Conjunctions - After Although As As soon as

Because Before If Unless

Since Even though Until When

Whenever Wherever While Once

Punctuation and Conjunction Rules According to Sentence Types

1. Simple Sentence (One sentence/independent clause) - Add nothing

The boys were practicing for the big game.

She likes to eat cereal for breakfast and a salad for lunch.

2. Compound Sentence (Two sentences/independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction) - Add a Comma/conjunction, a period, or a semicolon.

We needed a new television set, but we did not have enough money.

3. Complex Sentence - A dependent clause connected to an independent clause

Complex sentence with a subordinate conjunction at the beginning - Add a comma.

As we walked to the stores, we talked to our neighbors.

When he found the shopping list, he went to the store

4. Complex Sentence with subordinate conjunction in the middle - Add nothing.

We must clean all of the dishes before we can go to the movies.

Examples

1.  Whenever I am late for dinner, my parents become angry. (rule 3)

2.  We will go fishing this weekend unless the weather is bad. (rule 4)

3.  If we all study for the test, we will pass with flying colors. (rule 3)

4.  I knew it was a long walk home, so I began the trip early. (rule 2)

5.  My parents promised to buy me a car when I turned sixteen. (rule 4)

6.  I will go to school on Friday but not on Saturday (rule 1 only one sentence)

7.  I will go to school on Friday, but I will not go on Saturday. (rule 2 two sentences)

8.  I will go to school on Friday if someone will give me a ride. (rule 4 sub. in middle)

9.  If someone will give me a ride, I will go to school on Friday. (rule 3 sub. at beg.)

Some Advanced Strategies for Adding Sentence Variety

Compound-Complex Sentence – One or more dependent clauses connected to

two or more independent clauses
Because the report is due next Tuesday, we will work all weekend, and Toni will finish her

illustrations on Monday.

Appositive – Appositive phrases describe nouns or pronouns.

Politicians, acrobats at heart, can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground.

Parallelism – if two or more ideas are parallel, they should be expressed in parallel grammatical form. Single words should be balanced with single words, phrases with phrases, clauses with clauses.

I came, I saw, I conquered.