English Sentence Variety The Writing Center

at UNC Chapel Hill

A subject and verb combination is the simplest English sentence.
These are independent clauses (IC) and form complete sentences.
Subject + Verb He speaks.
Subject + Compound (Multiple) Verb He speaks and listens.
Compound Subject + Verb The boy and the girl speak.
Compound Subject + Compound Verb The boy and the girl speak and listen.

When preceded by a connector word, a subject+verb becomes a dependent clause (DC).

These MUST be combined with an independent clause to form a complete sentence.
Connector Word + Subject + Verb Although he speaks (NOT A SENTENCE)
Connector Word + Subject + Verb Because she speaks (NOT A SENTENCE)

Independent and dependent clauses can be combined in four different ways.

_____ ____________
Pattern _______________________________________________________________________________
1 – Simple sentence ___
IC Chinese
Two written
ocean layerscharacters
are surfaceareand
called
deepHan.
water.
__________
Pattern ___________________________________________________________________________________________
2 – Compound sentence (For / And / Nor / But / Or / Yet / So = FANBOYS)
IC, [FANBOYS] IC Water flows in both, and these are currents.
IC; [however / therefore / moreover Surface currents are driven by wind; however,
nonetheless / nevertheless], IC deep currents are driven by density.
__ ______________ __ _____ _________________________________________________________________________
Pattern 3 – Complex sentence ___
IC DC Both currents are important since surface water
can become deep water.
DC, IC When surface water cools, its density increases.
_____ ___________
Pattern _____ _______________________________________________________________________________
4 – Compound-complex sentence
IC, [FANBOYS] IC DC Sometimes surface water evaporates, and
salinity increases while its density increases.
DC, IC DC When density increases, water sinks where
it can become deep water.
For a fuller explanation, see http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/sentence-patterns/
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