What s in a name? SIMPLE, COMPOUND, COMPLEX, & COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES

Simple Sentences ONE SUBJECT + ONE PREDICATE N + V

Simple Sentences Romeo complains. Benvolio listens. They go to a party. Since they is a pronoun, not a noun. Some grammarians use the terms subject and predicate to identify the parts of a sentence instead of noun and verb.

Simple Sentences Romeo sees Juliet. Juliet sees Romeo. Romeo and Juliet hand-kiss. In a sentence the subject can be compound meaning there are two or more nouns. But the sentence is still a simple sentence if both nouns are doing the same action.

Simple Sentences Romeo and Juliet flirt and hand-kiss. They sigh and lip-kiss. The predicate can also be compound meaning there are more than two verbs. But the sentence is still simple if there is only one subject.

Compound Sentences TWO SUBJECTS + TWO PREDICATES N + V, + cc N + V

Compound Sentences Two Subjects + Two Predicates Romeo loves Juliet, but Juliet is a Capulet. When a sentence has two nouns and two actions with each noun doing a different action the sentence is called a compound sentence.

Compound Sentences Coordinating Conjunctions For And Nor But Or Yet So To connect the two simple sentences into a compound sentence, we need to use a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

Compound Sentences Subject + Verb +, + cc + Subject + Verb Romeo loves Juliet, but Juliet is a Capulet. Benvolio and Mercutio are looking for Romeo, so he is hiding. cc = Coordinating Conjunction = F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.

Compound Sentence Story Subject + Verb +, + cc + Subject + Verb Write your name, period, and Compound Sentences on a piece of paper. Write a compound sentence about characters from Rome and Juliet. Pass your paper back, one student at a time

Review Simple Sentences Simple Sentences have one subject doing an action: Juliet sighs. Romeo whines. Friar Lawrence was gathering herbs. Benvolio stopped people from fighting.

Review Simple Sentences The subjects in simple sentences may include more than one noun: The Capulets and the Montagues are feuding. Lady Capulet, Juliet, and the nurse talk about marriage. Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, and Lady Montague are dead at the end of the play.

Review Simple Sentences The actions (predicate) in simple sentences may include more than one verb: Mercutio fought and mocked Tybalt. Romeo and Benvolio intercepted an invitation and went to the party. As long as the sentence only has one subject doing the actions, it is still a simple sentence.

Review Compound Sentences Simple Sentences are also called Independent Clauses. This is because a simple sentence is able to be by itself, without needing another sentence to communicate the message.

Review Compound Sentences A Compound Sentence has two independent clauses connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. The coordinating conjunctions are: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

Complex Sentences ONE INDEPENDENT CLAUSE + ONE OR MORE DEPENDENT CLAUSES IC + DC

Complex Sentences A Complex Sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. A Dependent Clause depends on another sentence to communicate the message.

Complex Sentences Dependent clauses begin with words called subordinating conjunctions. Here s a list of some common conjunctions: after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, rather than, since, so that, that, though, unless, until, when, where, whether, while, why

Complex Sentences IC + sc + DC Benvolio and Mercutio looked for Romeo after they left the dinner party. Paris is convinced that Juliet loves him even though she barely pays attention to him. sc = Subordinating Conjunction

Complex Sentences sc + DC +, + IC After they left the dinner party, Benvolio and Mercutio looked for Romeo. Even though she barely pays attention to him, Paris is convinced that Juliet loves him. sc = Subordinating Conjunction

Compound-Complex Sentences TWO INDEPENDENT CLAUSES + ONE OR MORE DEPENDENT CLAUSES IC IC DC

Compound-Complex Sentences A Compound-Complex Sentence has two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Compound-Complex Sentences Romeo loves Juliet, even though she is a Capulet, and he tries to win her love. While the feud escalates, more characters die, and Romeo and Juliet s chances for a happy ending diminish.

Compound-Complex Sentences Romeo loves Juliet, even though she is a Capulet, and he tries to win her love. While the feud escalates, more characters die, and Romeo and Juliet s happy ending vanishes.

So What?

Can Help You Use Correct Punctuations Compound sentences need a coordinating conjunction to connect them, but they also need a comma. When dependent clauses begin a sentence, commas must follow.

Can Help Me Break Up Lengthy Sentences Even though I have a really long sentence, and I make sure to follow all of the correct punctuation rules; sometimes (which means more often than not) I really need to break up my sentences, unless I don t want my readers to understand what I am saying.

Can Help Me Break Up Lengthy Sentences Even though I have a really long sentence, sometimes I really need to break up my sentences. I may follow all of the correct punctuation rules, but my readers may still have a hard time understanding what I am saying.

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