sentence types a la shmoop
it would be pretty boring if sentences
only came in a single flavor oh man
Vanilla's fine but who wants a world
without chocolate or even green tea ice
cream yes hey some people like it there
are three basic types of sentences first
a simple sentence aka the independent
clause you can also think of it as a
complete thought so long as it's got a
subject and a verb you're all set the
other two types use different helper
words to connect clauses did somebody
say clouds compound sentences have two
independent clauses connected with a
helper word such as and
nor or so and finally complex sentences
really live up to their name they have
an independent clause plus one or more
dependent clauses which can't stand
alone as complete thoughts so they're
connected via a helper word such as
although when or which now let's
translate all this into English here's
the simplest of simple sentences a
simple sentence is solid it stands on
its own oh this Wow don't even need it
that's why it's also known as an
independent clause like our friend over
here it stands on two legs a subject and
a verb got that
but a simple sentence doesn't have to be
quite so simple hey you get back here it
can have a compound subject that is
multiple subjects like Mike and Bobby
are caught by the police or a compound
firm Mike goes home and loses his art
supplies in a compound sense you've got
one sentence but two independent clauses
joined by a fanboys coordinator all
right let em in and by fanboys we mean
for and nor but or yet and so these
fanboys are just dying to get between
two independent clauses back lamp
usually preceded by a comma
for example Bobby failed miserably to
impress Lisa yet he kept trying to
impress Megan - oh heck no and then
there's the complex sentences that is an
independent clause joined to one or more
dependent clauses alright that's it
handcuffs seriously they're joined by
either a subordinator such as because
after all though or when or a relative
pronoun like that who or which for
example Mike took down his shrine to
Susie which
took over a month to make and one with
two dependent clauses here we go
although Susie thought Mike was sort of
cute she preferred someone who'd didn't
literally worship her
well hello so there are three sentence
types simple compound and complex a
simple sentence is an independent clause
with at least one subject in verb the
compound sentences two independent
clauses joined together by fanboys and a
complex sentence is one independent
clause plus one or more dependent
clauses joined by a subordinator or
relative pronoun again really just
remember that there's always got to be
at least one independent clause in each
sentence because somebody's got to stay
independent here
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