A simple sentence consists of an independent clause, so it contains a subject and a verb. It does NOT contain either a dependent clause or another simple sentence. Examples of simple sentences –
short simple sentence: The dog barked.
long simple sentence: Leaning first this way and then that, the large tan dog with a wide black collar barked loudly at the full moon last night from under the lilac bush in the shadow of the north side of the house.
The simple sentence may have a compound subject: The dog and the cat howled.
It may have a compound verb: The dog howled and barked.
It may have a compound subject and a compound verb: The dog and the cat howled and yowled, respectively.
A compound sentence consists of two or more simple sentences joined by
(1) a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so): The dog barked, and the cat yowled.
(2) a semicolon: The dog barked; the cat yowled.
(3) a comma, but ONLY when the simple sentences are being treated as items in a series:
The dog barked, the cat yowled, and the rabbit chewed.
A complex sentence consists of a combination of an independent clause and a dependent clause. An example with a relative clause as the dependent clause:
The dog that was in the street howled loudly.
A student who is hungry would never pass up a hamburger.
An example with a subordinating conjunction creating the dependent clause (note the various positions of the dependent clause):
End: The dog howled although he was well fed.
Front: Because the dog howled so loudly, the student couldn't eat his hamburger. Middle: The dog, although he was well fed, howled loudly.
A compound-complex sentence consists of a combination of a compound sentence and a complex sentence.
As the dog howled, one cat sat on the fence, and the other licked its paws.
The Writing Center
Humphreys 116
University of Central Missouri
Types of Sentences: Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex
short simple sentence: The dog barked.
long simple sentence: Leaning first this way and then that, the large tan dog with a wide black collar barked loudly at the full moon last night from under the lilac bush in the shadow of the north side of the house.
The simple sentence may have a compound subject: The dog and the cat howled.
It may have a compound verb: The dog howled and barked.
It may have a compound subject and a compound verb: The dog and the cat howled and yowled, respectively.
A compound sentence consists of two or more simple sentences joined by
(1) a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so): The dog barked, and the cat yowled.
(2) a semicolon: The dog barked; the cat yowled.
(3) a comma, but ONLY when the simple sentences are being treated as items in a series:
The dog barked, the cat yowled, and the rabbit chewed.
A complex sentence consists of a combination of an independent clause and a dependent clause. An example with a relative clause as the dependent clause:
The dog that was in the street howled loudly.
A student who is hungry would never pass up a hamburger.
An example with a subordinating conjunction creating the dependent clause (note the various positions of the dependent clause):
End: The dog howled although he was well fed.
Front: Because the dog howled so loudly, the student couldn't eat his hamburger. Middle: The dog, although he was well fed, howled loudly.
A compound-complex sentence consists of a combination of a compound sentence and a complex sentence.
As the dog howled, one cat sat on the fence, and the other licked its paws.
The Writing Center
Humphreys 116
University of Central Missouri
Types of Sentences: Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex
