Types of Sentences Flashcards
Definition of a sentence
A complete sentence has a Subject and Verb/predicate, and is a complete idea or thought.
What is a simple sentence?
A Simple Sentence is a sentence that has ONLY ONE VERB and one main clause
Christopher painted the fence.
What is a clause?
A CLAUSE is a group of closely related words which includes both a SUBJECT and a VERB
It may or may not make complete sense on its own:
Joshua painted the fence a muted shade of green.
Although he preferred orange
What is a compound sentence?
A Compound Sentence joins two or more main/independent clauses using specific conjunctions.
Mark made a bowl of chow yesterday, AND his sister ate the chow before he could taste it.
What is a complex sentence?
A Complex Sentence has ONE MAIN CLAUSE (which can stand on its own and make complete sense) and ONE OR MORE subordinate clauses, (which do not make sense on their own)
When he heard the loud horn outside, Harry locked the door and hid under his bed.
What is a subordinate clause?
A subordinate clause is a clause that cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence. It complements the main clause in a sentence.
Examples of subordinate clauses:
If I can find my wallet
Identify whether the following sentences are compound or complex sentences.
She did not cheat, for it was the wrong thing to do.
Compound
He ran out of money, so he had to stop playing poker.
Compound
He would be docked a day’s pay, because he was late again.
Complex
While I am a passionate basketball fan, I prefer football.
Complex
I really need to go to work, but I am too sick to drive.
Compound
I am extremely happy since I retired.
Complex
What is an equivalent sentence?
It is a sentence which is similar in meaning to the original sentence.
