The Four Kinds of
Sentences
Good writing mixes up the length and
complexity of the sentences within a piece of writing. It's the same way that good
songs mix up different notes and melodies, and good golfers use different kinds
of shots. Here are the four basic kinds of sentences you should use, in order
of how often you should use them:
Simple sentence:
One
independent clause - one subject (usually a noun) and one predicate (usually a
verb) - including modifying words for either, expressing a complete thought.
Sally sells seashells by the seashore.
Compound sentence:
Two
or more independent clauses, usually held together by a conjunction (and, but,
or) and a comma or semicolon.
Sally sells seashells by the seashore, and
she buys baseballs by the bazillion.
Complex sentence:
One
independent clause and one or more dependent clauses that work together to
clarify the relationship between two different thoughts. A dependent clause
isn't complete because it lacks either a subject or a predicate. See how the
phrase that ends with "seashore" couldn't stand by itself as a sentence:
Because Sally sells seashells by the
seashore, she has to shell out a lot of cash.
Compound-complex sentence:
Two
or more independent clauses with one or more dependent clauses. See how the
phrase that begins with "and" couldn't stand by itself? It's the dependent
clause, and the other two are independent clauses:
Sally sells seashells by the seashore, and
although she buys baseballs by the bazillion, she never runs out of cash or
customers.
By Susan Darst Williams • www.GoBigEd.com • Grammar Granny
028 • © 2006