Simple, Compound, Complex

Sentence

Simple Sentence
Example:
• It has a subject and a verb.
• It is a single independent clause. 1. Grandma goes to church alone.
• It expresses a single complete thought. 2. Some students like to study in the morning.
3. Dogs bark.
4. The earth moves round the sun.

Compound Sentence
Example:
• Contains two independent clauses
(two simple sentences). 1. Trina slept late, yet she made it to school on
• Joins the two clauses with a time.
conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, 2. Cassidy and Arturo like to study in the
so). morning.
• The conjunction can change the 3. Alicia goes to the library and studies every
meaning of the sentence. day.
4. Manisha is a teacher and her brother is a
doctor.

Complex Sentence
Example:
• An independent clause joined by one
or more dependent clauses. 1. I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried
• A subordinating conjunction is at the to speak English.
beginning of the dependent clause. 2. Students stood up when the teacher
• If the dependent clause is at the entered the classroom.
beginning of the sentence, it must be 3. The teacher punished the student who told
followed by a comma. a lie.
4. Thieves left the place as soon as they saw
the police.

1
 Exercise 1

1. The children wore their dirty boots.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

2. It was time for bed, yet it was still light outside.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

3. The front door was locked, so she entered through the back.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

4. They took a lot of pictures when they visited Penang.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

5. After the show began, he sat very quietly.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

6. The girl was wearing a red dress.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

7. He was playing on his computer.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

8. Georges would like to play, for he is the best player on the team.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

9. Before the bell rings, the student lined up at the door.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

10. We turned off the lights.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

11. We turned off the lights, and we went to sleep.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex

12. We turned off the lights after our mom told us to go to sleep.

A. Simple B. Compound C. Complex