Sentence Structure

1. Sentence Structure Simple Sentences Sentence Fragments Compound Sentences Complex Sentences Compound Complex Sentences

2. Simple Sentences Simple sentences have one independent clause, but they may have a compound subject or a compound predicate.

3. Examples Alyssa is a very good friend to me. Jennifer and Elise are best friends. Amy and her brother Paul love to go to the movies and play basketball.

4. Sentence Fragments Fragments are Incomplete sentences missing either a subject or a predicate.

5. Examples A very good friend to me. The white dog with the blue collar. Playing basketball at the court with my friends.

6. Compound Sentences Compound sentences contain two or more independent clauses. They are combined with a semi-colon or comma and a conjunction.

7. Examples Jerry will cut the grass, but Lisa will trim the hedges. Henry is the new class president; Stacey is the vice president.

8. Guided Practice Combine the following sentences to make compound sentences using a comma and conjunction or semi-colon. Jimmy and Nicole will go to the swimming pool at 1:00. Antony will go to soccer practice. Emily is a cheerleader. Abby is a basketball player. Jessie is going to the store to buy a new phone. Amy is going to stay with her grandmother.

9. Practice Tell whether the following sentences are simple, compound, or fragment. Jennifer and Elise will go to the movies on Friday. Everyone will enjoy the movie about a mouse from the country and his cousin from the city. The city mouse in the big white house on the corner of the busy street. Jennifer liked the ending of the movie, but Elise did not.

10. Complex Sentences Complex sentences contain an independent clause and a dependent (subordinate) clause. They are combined with a subordinate conjunction.

11. Examples Finish your homework beforeyou play computer games. Because it is raining outside, we will not have recess.

12. Guided Practice Underline independent(main) clauses once, Dependent(subordinate) clauses twice and circle the conjunction. Tell if it is a complex sentence. When it is foggy, driving is very dangerous. We were surprised when we learned of the arrest. You can leave early tomorrow and go to the game. I will help you with your homework after you watch the baby. Before I start my workout, I always do some warm-up exercises.

13. Practice Which of the following sentences are complex sentences? 1. When the bell rings, we will have a tornado drill. We will have after school classes today. Jason will take the first bus, but Emily will take the last one. Everyone will be dismissed because of bad weather.

14. Test Item F. Because members often use the clubhouse, the hallway inside needs a new rug. G. The project was started twenty years ago, all parts of the project are now complete. H. The outside of Joan’s house was painted by professional painters, after the new garage was added. J. Inside the kitchen on top of the counter, is a brand-new pan Mom uses for making lasagna. Which of the following sentences is written correctly?

15. Review Underline each main clause. Add punctuation as needed. Tell if it is a simple, compound, or complex sentence. Volcanologists study volcanoes. Mount Saint Helens is an active volcano in Washington but it has not erupted since 1980. Because the blast leveled 150 square miles of forest millions of animals and birds were killed. The destruction to the earth and wildlife were extreme and more than sixty people were killed.

16. Compound Complex Sentences Sentences containing more than one independent clause and one or more dependent (subordinate) clause.

17. Examples Jason must finish his home work, and Molly must clean her room beforethey play computer games. Because it is raining outside, we will not have recess, nor will we walk on the track after lunch.

18. Guided Practice Underline the main clauses once and subordinate clauses twice. Tell which kind of sentence. James and Victoria were bad vampires in the book Twilight, but Edward was a good vampire. Bella’s life is in danger when she cuts her finger on the gift wrapping at her birthday party, and the scent of blood is too much for Jasper. In New Moon, Bella had to choose between Edward and Jacob although she loved both of them.

19. Practice Which of the following sentences is a compound complex sentences? Jamey and Michael will go to the store when they finish their homework. We will watch Rio after the news then we will take a long nap. After they won the championship, the team celebrated at the Pizza Hut, but Maria did not get to go because she sprang her ankle.

20. Test Item 1. Which of the following is a compound sentence with a compound subject? A. Either Greg will furnish sandwiches for refreshments, or Mrs. Taylor will bring pizza. B. Thomas always attends the weekend rehearsals, but Nan and Beth usually go out of town. C. Percy went to the mall and bought a new sweater for his trip to North Carolina. D. Both Rachel and Anna brought food to the game and shared it with everyone in the stands. 2. Which of the following sentences contains a compound subject? A. Neither Laquita nor Claudia attended the meeting. B. Brandon walked the dog, but he did not like the job. C. Either the students will complete the work or they will receive a zero. D. Sierra called Lorraine, but Adele answered the phone on the fourth ring.

21. Test Item Which of the following uses a compound subject and a compound predicate? A. Jerome visits the school library every Tuesday and Thursday so that he can read books and perform research on the computer. B. The tallest girl in the class, Marianne, and her best friend Angela ride their bikes to the city pool during the summer and swim all afternoon. C. The students who participate in art club often display their work on the bulletin boards by the office and the hallway on the second floor. D. Musical groups and members of the drama club entertain the entire school many times during the year when they perform in school assemblies.

22. Test Item Which of the following is a compound complex sentence? F. Abigail and Madison went to the store for snacks before their favorite show started on television. G. Margaret had thought that she would watch the fireworks from her bedroom window upstairs, but the tall trees blocked her view of the sky. H. Victor spent the summer before his junior and senior years of high school on his grandfather’s cattle ranch in Montana. J. Derek and Ashley adopted two Siamese kittens from the local animal shelter and took them home.