ENGLISH SENTENCE STRUCTURE: FOUR TYPES OF SENTENCES

ENGLISH SENTENCE STRUCTURE:  FOUR TYPES OF SENTENCES

We have seen in a previous post that from the standpoint of content, intent and emotion, English sentences can be divided into four major kinds: Declarative or Assertive, Interrogative, Imperative and Exclamatory. We also learnt about clauses and phrases.

However, from structural point of view, English sentences like those in many other languages are also classified into three different types. Depending upon the numbers of clauses and how they are linked to each other we have Simple, Compound, and Complex sentences. Besides that, many grammarians include Compound-Complex sentences as the fourth type.

Simple Sentences

Let us examine the following sentences;

The Sun rises in the east.

Sam is our neighbour.

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal.

As we see, each of the above sentences is made of one subject and one predicate. In each sentence there is only one clause.  These are simple sentences.

When a sentence contains one subject and one predicate, i.e., made of only one clause, we call it a Simple Sentence. More examples of simple sentences are:

Aruna is my sister.

She studies in class ten.

Our ancestral house is on a river bank.

The simple sentences may contain one or more than one phrases. In the above examples, in the east, the capital of Nepal, in class ten, our ancestral house, on a river bank are phrases.

Compound Sentences

Now, let us examine the following sentence.

Aruna is my sister and she is ten years old.

The above sentence is made of two clauses, Aruna is my sister and she is ten years old.

Aruna is my sister, this clause stands on its own and imparts a complete sense; so, it is an independent clause; also, a complete sentence. Similarly, she is ten years old is another independent clause and a sentence.   Both the clauses are linked by the word, and, which is known as the Coordinating Conjunction. Some other coordinating conjunctions are but, or, either or, neither nor.

The above sentence is an example of the compound sentences. Some other examples of compound sentences are:

Aruna studies in class ten and she is a good student. (Two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction, and.)

Sam is our neighbour but we rarely see him. (Two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction, but.)

We leave right now or we will miss the train. (Two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction, or.)

The sky is clear and the beach is clean but I forgot my swimming gear. (Three independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunctions - and, but.)

When a sentence is made of two or more independent clauses, we term it as a Compound Sentence. 

So, we can define a compound sentence as a sentence made of two or more independent clauses or sentences. The independent sentences are joined by coordinating conjunctions.

Complex Sentences

Now, let us examine the following sentence.

We ran home when the rains started.

The above sentence is made of two clauses, independent or main and subordinate. We ran home is the main or independent clause and when the rains started is the subordinate clause. This is a Complex Sentence.

Some other examples of complex sentences are:

The police removed the barricade as the crowd became restive. (The police removed the barricade is the main clause and as the crowd became restive – subordinate clause.)

The manager was relieved when the workers who were on strike resumed work. (The manager was relieved is the main clause, and when the workers resumed work and who were on strike are subordinate clauses.)

When a sentence is composed of a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses, we term it as a Complex Sentence.

Compound-Complex sentences

We have seen earlier that a compound sentence is made of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction. However, there are occasions when one of the sentences may contain a subordinate clause. For example,

Aruna searched for the keys and I told her that Sam has them.

The above sentence consists of two sentences joined by the coordinating conjunction, and. Aruna searched for the keys, this is an independent clause and a sentence, while I told her that Sam has them is a sentence that is made of two clauses: I told her  an independent clause and that Sam has them,  a subordinate clause.

Noteworthy, the clause that Sam has them is a subordinate clause and is a part the larger clause (sentence) I told her that Sam has them.

So, a Compound-Complex sentence is defined as a sentence made of at least two independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause.