Larbi Ben MHidi University

Department of English
DL/1st year
Sentence Types
Clauses are the building blocks of sentences. A clause is a group of
words that contains (at least) a subject and a verb.
Clauses
Not
clauses
SUBJECT VERB

ecology is
a science
environment
SUBJECT

to protect the

VERB

because pollution causes cancer

after working
all day
There are two kinds of clauses: independent and dependent.
Independent Clauses
An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses
a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence by itself. An
independent clause is formed with a subject and a verb and often a
complement.
Subject
Verb
(Complement)
The sun
rose
Water
evaporates
rapidly in warm climate zones
Dependent Clauses
A dependent clause begins with a subordinator such as when, while,
if, that, or who. A dependent clause does not express a complete
thought, so it is not a sentence by itself. A dependent clause is also
called a sentence fragment. By itself, it is an incomplete sentence,
and it is an error. A dependent clause is formed with a subordinator,
a subject, and a verb.
Subordinator
Subject
Verb
(Complement)
when
the sun
rose ...
because
water
evaporates
rapidly in warm
climate zones
whom
the voters
elected ...
if
the drought
continues
for another
year ...
A few of the most common subordinators are: after, before, that,
when, which, although, even though, though, whenever, while, as,
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just as, how, unless, where, who, as if, if, until, wherever, whom, as
soon as, since, what, whether, whose, because, so that.
Kinds of Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that you use to communicate your
ideas. Every sentence is formed from one or more clauses and
expresses a complete thought. The four basic kinds of sentences in
English are simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.
The kind of sentence is determined by the kind of clauses used to
form it.
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is one independent clause.
s
v
Freshwater boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.
Note: Simple sentences may contain compound subjects, compound
verbs, compound direct objects, etc.
Tom reads novels and newspapers. (compound direct object)
Tom reads and enjoys novels. (compound verb)
Tom and Peter read novels. (compound subject)
Tom and Peter read and enjoy novels and newspapers.
(compound subject, verb, and direct object)
All these examples are simple sentences because they have only one
clause.
Basic Patterns of a Simple Sentence
There are mainly five basic patterns of a simple sentence:
a.
Subject + Verb
The rain stopped.
They disappeared.
b.
Subject + Verb + Direct Object
Mice frighten elephants.
Sarah invited her relatives.
c.
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
I shall send you a postcard.
The company gave John a reward.
d.
Subject + Verb + Subject Complement
The data seemed reliable.
She is a pretty woman.
e.
Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Object Complement
I found the pie sweet.
I consider you my friend.
Compound Sentences
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A compound sentence is two or more independent clauses joined

together. There are three ways to join the clauses:
1. With a coordinator
- Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater, so food
cooks faster in
salt water.
2. With a conjunctive adverb
- Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater;
therefore, food cooks
faster in salt water.
3. With a semicolon
- Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater; food
cooks faster in salt
water.
Note: 1. The following conjunctions are called coordinating
conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. (Helpful hint: The first
letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS)
2.
The following are frequently used conjunctive adverbs:
after all
in addition
next
also
incidentally
nonetheless
as a result
indeed
on the contrary
besides
in fact
on the other hand
consequently
in other words
otherwise
finally
instead
still
for example
likewise
then
furthermore
meanwhile
therefore
hence
moreover
thus
however
nevertheless
Punctuation patterns in a compound sentence:
A. Independent clause, coordinating conjunction
independent
clause.
B. Independent clause; conjunctive adverb, independent clause.
C. Independent clause; independent clause.
Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is made up of one independent clause and one
dependent clause (headed by a subordinating conjunction or a
relative pronoun).
Because they have a test tomorrow, the students are studying.
When he handed in the homework, he forgot to give the
teacher the last page.
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 The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.

The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
John, who reads comics, rarely reads novels.
My sister, who is studying German, wants to travel to Germany.
People who read comics rarely read novels.
The child who runs the fastest will receive a prize.
Note: Punctuation patterns in a complex sentence:
A. Dependent clause, independent clause.
B. Independent clause dependent clause.
C. Independent, nonessential dependent clause,
clause.
D. Independent essential dependent clause
clause.
Compound-Complex Sentences
A compound-complex sentence has at least three clauses, at least
two of which are independent. In other words, a compound-complex
sentence is a combination of two complex sentences or a complex
sentence and a simple sentence joined via coordinating conjunction,
a conjunctive adverb, or a semi-colon.
- I wanted to travel after I graduated from college; however, I
had to go to work
immediately.
- After I graduated from college, I wanted to travel, but I had to go
to work immediately.
- I wanted to travel after I graduated from college, but I had to go
to work immediately because I had to support my family.
- Lila took her desktop computer which she uses at work, and
Pauline sits on the beach with her laptop computer which she
connects to the internet with a cellular phone.