This document provides an overview of sentences and sentence structures in English. It defines what constitutes a sentence and identifies the key elements of a subject and predicate. It describes the four basic types of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. It also covers sentence functions, common sentence errors like fragments and run-ons, and ways to correct run-on sentences.

1. SENTENCES and
SENTENCE STRUCTURES
English JH 1
Ms. Elena

2. What IS a Sentence?
• A sentence has a subject and a
predicate that work together to
make a complete thought.

3. Pick which of the
following is a sentence:
• Throughout people’s ears grow.
• Because ears grow.
• Throughout people’s lives their ears.
• People’s ears grow throughout their
entire lives.

4. Pick which of the
following is a sentence:
• Throughout people’s ears grow.
• Because ears grow.
• Throughout people’s lives their ears.
• People’s ears grow throughout their
entire lives.

5. A Subject?
• The subject of a sentence is a noun
or pronoun that tells who or what the
subject is.
• Example:
This horse is brown.

6. A Predicate?
• A predicate is a verb or verb phrase
that tells what the subject is doing
• Example:
The horse is running
around the track.

7. REVIEW
• So, we know a sentence is a group of
words that:
1. has a subject (noun or pronoun).
2. has a predicate (verb or verb
phrase).
3. expresses a complete thought.

8. Ask yourself the
following questions:
• To find the subject, ask : “Who or
what is the sentence about?”
• To find an action verb, ask: “What is
the subject doing?”
• If you can’t find an action verb, look
for a linking verb such as is, will, are,
or has. Example: The cat is brown.

9. Which comes first? The
subject or the verb?
• In most sentences, the subject will
come before the verb.
• However, in questions, for example,
the verb will often come before the
subject.
• Example: The fish is in the pond.
Is the fish in the pond?

10. Clauses
• There are two types of clauses:
1. independent: can stand alone
because they have a subject and verb; a
complete sentence!
2. dependent: cannot stand alone
because they do not express a complete
thought even though they have a subject
and verb.

11. Sentence Structure:
The Fab Four
• Independent and dependent clauses
can be used in ways to form the four
basic types of sentences:
1. simple
2. compound
3. complex
4. compound-complex

12. Simple Sentences
• A simple sentence has one independent
clause. That means it has one subject
and one verb.
• A simple sentence can also have
adjectives and adverbs.
• A simple sentence cannot have another
independent clause or any dependent
clauses.

13. Examples of Simple
Sentences:
• One subject, one verb:
Americans eat a lot of apples.
• Compound subject, one verb:
Lebron James and Kobe Bryant are
basketball players.
• One subject, compound verb:
My son toasts and butters his bread.

14. Compound Sentences
• A compound sentence consists of two
or more independent clauses.
• The independent clauses can be
joined in two ways:
1. with a coordinating conjunction
(for, and, nor, or, but, yet, so)
2. with a semicolon (;)

15. More Compound
Sentences:
• As with a simple
sentence, a
compound sentence
cannot have any
dependent clauses.
Independent
Clause
Conjunction
Or
Semicolon
Independent
Clause
Sally went
to the store and
John picked
her up an
hour later.
The largest
mammals are
found in the
sea
;
there is
nowhere
else to put
them.
She loves to
play
volleyball
but
she is
better at
basketball.

16. Complex Sentences
• A complex sentence has one independent clause
(called the main clause) and at least one
dependent clause.
• These sentences use subordinating conjunctions
to link (until, while, when, and even though).
Example: The lake dries up (independent clause)
when (subordinating conjunction) the heat
comes (dependent clause/includes subordinating
conjunction).

17. Compound-Complex
Sentences
• A compound-complex sentence has at
least two independent clauses and at
least one dependent clause.
• The dependent clause can be part of the
independent clause.
Example: I planned to drive to work
(independent), but I couldn’t
(independent) until the mechanic
repaired my car (dependent).

18. A little practice!
• For the following sentences, label
each simple (1), compound (2),
complex (3), or compound-complex
(4):

19. Identify what type of
sentence is each sentence.
1. If at first you don’t succeed,
try,try again.
2. The hardness of the butter is
proportional to the softness of
the bread.

20. Identify what type of sentence is
each sentence.
3. You never really learn to be
independent until you learn to drive.
4. It takes about half a gallon of
water to cook spaghetti and about a
gallon of water to clean the pot.
5. Monday is an awful way to spend
one-seventh of your life.

21. Identify what type of sentence is
each sentence.
6. To succeed in politics, it is often necessary
to fall below your principles.
7. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism;
to steal from many is research.

22. Answers
1. Complex 6. Complex
2. Simple 7. Simple
3. Complex 8. Compound
4. Compound
5. Simple

23. Sentence Functions
• There are four sentence functions in
English:
1. Declarative sentences state an idea.
2. Exclamatory sentences show strong
emotions.
3. Interrogative sentences ask a
question
4. Imperative sentences give orders or
directions.

24. Examples
• Declarative: The dogs likes to sleep
on the porch.
• Exclamatory: What a mess this room
is!
• Interrogative: Why did Jane go to
the early movie?
• Imperative: Sit down and be quiet.

25. Sentence Errors
• There are two basic types of
sentence errors:
1. Fragments
2. Run-ons

26. Sentence Fragments
• A sentence fragment is a group of
words that do not express a complete
thought. Most of the time, a
fragment is missing a subject, a verb,
or both.
Example: Because I said so!
Used to cure ticks and fleas.

27. Run-On Sentences &
Comma Splices
• A run-on sentence is two incorrectly
joined independent clauses. Example:
Godzilla wants to sleep he is exhausted
from destroying Tokyo.
• A comma splice is a run-on sentence
with a comma where the two
independent clauses run together.
Example: The sun is high, put on some
sunblock.

28. Run-Ons
• Run-on sentences are not necessarily
long. Example: She walked he ran.
• The second clause of a run-on often
begins with a pronoun. Example:
Godzilla wants to sleep he is
exhausted from destroying Tokyo.

29. Corrections
• Godzilla wants to sleep. He is exhausted from
destroying Tokyo. (Two sentences)
• Godzilla wants to sleep, for he is exhausted from
destroying Tokyo. (Coordinating conjunction)
• Godzilla wants to sleep, because he is exhausted
from destroying Tokyo. (subordinating
conjunction)
• Godzilla wants to sleep; he is exhausted from
destroying Tokyo. (semi-colon)