There are three essential ways to form a sentence in the English language and these ways are called; simple, compound, and complex.
Simple sentences are made up of one complete subject and one complete predicate. A predicate tells about the subject usually what the subject did, where the subject is, was. Simple sentences can be extremely short, or a bit long.
Short sentences are usually found in children’s beginning and easy reader books.
The dog sat down. The complete subject is the dog, the predicate is, sat down, because it tells what the subject did.
He ran. The complete subject is he and the predicate is ran because it tells what the subject did.
Simple sentences are a bit longer too;
We played music all night long. The complete subject is we and the predicate is played music all night long because it tells what the subject did.
She wore the orange shirt to the cookout. She is the complete subject and wore an orange shirt to the cookout is the predicate because it tells what the subject did.
Compound sentences are made up of two or more independent clauses. Independent clauses are simple sentences (the ones mentioned above) These independent clauses will be easy to spot because they are joined by either a comma (,) or a coordinating conjunction (but, or, and.) Coordinating conjunctions connect independent clauses together.
Bob said that he had to leave school early, but I seen him in the cafeteria. (The two independent clause or simple sentences in this compound sentence are highlighted. The comma can be found aster the word early and the conjunction in this sentence is the word but)
Tracy went to the market but she forget her money, so she went back home. (This sentence is made up of three independent clauses, they are all highlighted and connected by the conjunctions; but, and so.)
Complex sentences are made up of an independent clause and a dependant clause. An independent clause is a simple sentence with a complete subject and complete predicate, and a dependent clause is a clause that can not form a complete sentence. Both dependent and independent clauses are joined by a subordinating conjunction not a coordinating conjunction like found in the compound sentence. Some coordinating conjunctions include, before, because, if, and when. Subordinating conjunctions are the conjunctions that connect a dependant clause to an independent clause.
We will wait for the bus until 5:00 in the afternoon. (In this sentence, until is the subordinating conjunction.) We will wait for the bus is the independent clause, the simple sentence, and until 5:00 in the afternoon is the dependent clause, the cause that can not by itself form a sentence.
I brought my mother some flowers because it was her birthday. (In this sentence, because is the subordinating conjunction.) I brought my mother some flowers is the independent clause, the simple sentence, and because it was her birthday is the dependent clause, the clause that can not by itself form a sentence.
