Kinds of Sentence Structure
The Simple Sentence and the Compound Sentence
1. A simple sentence has one independent clause and no subordinate clauses. A simple sentence may have a compound subject, a compound verb, or both.
In these examples, the subject and the verb are highlighted.
A good rain helps the farmers.
The huge dog and the tiny kitten lay down together in the sun for a nap.
Burritos and tacos are my favorite Mexican dishes.
2. A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses and no subordinate clauses.
INDEPENDENT CLAUSE: Melvina wrote about her mother's aunt.
INDEPENDENT CLAUSE: Georgina wrote about her cousin from Georgia.
COMPOUND SENTENCE: Melvina wrote about her mother's aunt, and Georgina wrote about her cousin from Georgia.
The independent clauses of a compound sentence are usually joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet).
3. Distinguishing Compound Sentences from Compound Subjects and Compound Verbs:
A simple sentence has only one independent clause. It may have a compound subject or a compound verb or both. A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses. Each independent clause has its own subject and verb. Any of the independent clauses in a compound sentence may have a compound subject, a compound verb, or both.
SIMPLE SENTENCE: Kim and Maureen read each other's stories and made suggestions for improvements.
COMPOUND SENTENCE: Kim and Maureen read each other's stories and they gave each other suggestions for improvements.
Kinds of Sentence Structure:
The Simple Sentence and the Compound Sentence
The Complex Sentence