There are four basic types of English sentences:
- Simple sentences
- Compound sentences
- Complex sentences
- Compound-complex sentences
1. Simple Sentences
Simple sentences present a complete thought in the form of an independent clause, containing one subject and at least one main verb.
- Winston works in the HR department.
- Human resources is an important branch of every company.
- Motivating employees requires a combination of factors.
Simple sentences can have compound subjects.
- Winston and Sofie work in the HR department.
Simple sentences can contain two or more main verbs, as long as they refer to the same subject.
- Winston works in the HR department and consults in Marketing.
2. Compound Sentences
Compound sentences contain two complete thoughts in the form of two independent clauses, joined by a conjunction or with punctuation. There are three ways to form compound sentences:
i. Comma + coordinating conjunction
Two independent clauses can be joined by a comma and one of the seven coordinating conjunctions, often referred to by the mnemonic FANBOYS:
| Independent Clause 1 |
, for (introduce causation) , and (addition) , nor (negative option) , but (opposition) , or (option) , yet (surprising opposition) , so (introduce effect) |
Independent Clause 2 |
- Winston enjoys working for HR, but he prefers working in marketing.
- Sofie felt ill yesterday, so she called in sick.
ii. Semi-colon (;)
When two independent clauses are clearly logically related by addition or causation, then they can be connected by a semi-colon.
- Sophie felt ill yesterday; she called in sick.
- Employee motivation is a complicated job for managers; there are many different approaches to motivating staff members.
iii. Semi-colon + conjunctive adverb
Independent clauses can also be connected by semi-colon and one of the many adverbs that also introduce logical relationship of ideas.
| Independent Clause 1 |
Addition: ; also, ;furthermore, ; moreover, Opposition: ; however, ; on the other hand, ; nevertheless, Effect: ; consequently, ; as a result, ; therefore, |
Independent Clause 2 |
- Sofie called in sick yesterday; however, she still got her work done.
- Employee motivation is a complicated job for many managers; consequently, many psychologists study this aspect of business.
Combining Sentences (Part 1)
This video is on the different kinds of sentences in English; we will discuss how to combine our ideas to vary the length and style of our sentences to make our writing more interesting and clear.
3. Complex Sentences
Complex sentences are similar to compound sentences in that they contain two clauses joined by a conjunction. However, they are different, in that complex sentences contain only one independant clause and one or more dependent clause.
Independent clause: at least one subject and one main verb that forms a complete thought.
- Winston enjoys marketing.
Dependent clause: at least one subject and one main verb that does not form a complete thought.
- because he gets to be creative.
From the example of a dependent clause above, it is easy to see where this type of clause gets its name: the clause "because he gets to be creative" is meaningless without the independent clause "Winston enjoys marketing." In other words, the meaning of the second clause is dependent on the meaning of the first clause.
Note that the order of the clauses is unimportant: the dependent clause can be first or and the independent clause second, or vice
- Because he gets to be creative, Winston enjoys marketing.
- Sofie gets her work done even when she doesn't feel well.
These are some common subordinating conjunctions that often begin a dependent clause:
- although
- as
- after
- because
- before
- if
- since
- though
- unless
- until
- whereas
- when
- whether
- while
4. Compound-Complex Sentences
- Compound-complex sentences are a way of combining several logically-connected ideas in the same sentence and are important to more advanced writing for business or academic purposes.
- These sentences combine a compound sentence with a complex sentence, so they must contain at least two independent clauses, and one dependent clause.
- Compound: Winston works in the HR department, but he consults with Marketing.
- Complex: Winston enjoys marketing because he gets to be creative.
- Compound-Complex: Winston works in the HR department, but he consults with Marketing, because he enjoys the opportunity to be creative.
Combining Sentences (Part 2)
In this video, we will discuss the structure and organization of a comparison/contrast essay. Students will learn the different styles of comparing and contrasting, and after the video, will be able to organize and write a more effective essay.
Exercise
Please open the exercise to continue.