Sentence Types

There are only four sentence types, and they are categorized according to what type and how many independent and dependent clauses you will find in each.

Ÿ   Simple Sentences

Ÿ   Compound Sentences

Ÿ   Complex Sentences

Ÿ   Compound-Complex Sentences

Simple Sentences

Simple Sentences contain only one independent clause.

e.g. The balloons floated away.

e.g. Mr. Fleagle had a reputation among students for dullness and inability to inspire.

Compound Sentences

When you join two (or more) independent clauses, you will create a compound sentence.

组合方式1：小句1+逗号+ 并列连词+小句2

The most common way to construct a compound sentence is by using coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS).

e.g. We could go to the beach, or we could go up to the mountains.

e.g. The idea of becoming a writer had come to me off and on since my childhood in Belleville, but it wasn’t until my third year in high school that the possibility took hold.

组合方式2：小句1+分号+ 小句2

e.g. The old car finally stopped; we were all relieved.

组合方式3：小句1+分号+ 副词连词, + 小句2

The old car finally stopped; therefore, we were all relieved.

Complex Sentences

When you compose a sentence by joining at least one dependent clause and an independent clause, you create a complex sentence. Learning to write complex sentences is the best way to improve your writing style. 

e.g. When our class was assigned to Mr. Fleagle for third-year English I anticipated another cheerless year in that most tedious of subjects.

Compound-Complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence consists of more than one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Compound: We could go to the beach, or we could go up to the mountains.

Compound-Complex: We could go to the beach, or we could go up to the mountains since it might rain on the coast.