PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, JEDDAH- English Section

Academic Year Subject Simple, Compound and

Complex Sentences

2020-2021 Mid Term English Handout 15

Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences

What is a sentence?

A sentence is a set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a

subject and predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or
command, and consisting of a main clause and sometimes one or more
subordinate clauses. There are three types of sentences:

1. Simple Sentence:

• A simple sentence is a group of words that forms a complete thought.

• A simple sentence contains subject and a verb and has only one
independent clause and has no dependent clause.
Example:

I went to the beach.

My brother will do his work.
My mother will bake cupcakes.
2. Compound Sentences:

• A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses.

• The clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction FANBOYST.
Example:

I like tea but he likes coffee.

Independent clause Independent

(In other words, it could be a Joining Clause
stand-alone sentence.) Method

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A coordinating conjunction joins two simple sentences. Use FANBOYST as a
reminder.

FANBOYST

F A N B O Y S T
For And Nor But Or Yet So Then

3. Complex Sentence:

• A complex sentence has an independent clause and one or more

dependent clause.
• These dependent clauses begin with subordinating conjunction.
Example:

When cake is brown, take it out of the oven.

Dependent Clause Independent clause

(This can’t stand alone as a (this can stand alone as a
sentence.) Sentence.)

Sometimes a comma is used to

separate the clauses.

If a sentence starts with a connective, there should be a comma after the

subordinate clause. If a sentence starts with the main clause the comma should
be replaced by a connective.

Example:

I ate an apple because I was hungry.

Because I was hungry, I ate an apple.

Relative Clauses:

Relative clauses give extra information about a noun in the main clause.

Example:

1. That’s the woman who bought my car. (‘who’ refers to subject here)
2. It’s the apartment that I was looking for. (‘that’ refers to object here)

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 3. The cat which was running in my garden is Tommy’s. (‘which’ refers to
animal here)
RELATIVE CLAUSES
RULE EXAMPLE
They caught the man who spied for
Who refers to people
China.
Which/that refer to objects I lost the map which/that she gave me.
She complained to the man whose dog bit
Whose refers to possession
her.
When refers to a moment in
Eid Day is a day when people are happy.
time
Where refers to a particular We visited the house where our father
place was born.
Whom refers to people as The girl whom you gave the book is my
object. sister.

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