In simple terms, the “structure” of a sentence refers to the way in which the different elements of a sentence – words, clauses, and phrases – are organized to convey the desired effect. Good writers use a variety of sentence structures to create euphonious prose and to hold their readers’ interest. Students who seek to perfect sentence structure need to familiarize themselves with the elements of grammar as well as the four types of sentence structures.
But first, it is necessary to examine the difference between dependent and independent clauses. Understanding clauses and their function in a sentence will make it easier to comprehend sentence structures.
Dependent and Independent Clauses
A clause is the part of a sentence containing a verb.
An independent clause consists of a subject and a verb. It expresses a complete idea or thought and can function as a complete sentence by itself. Look at these sentences:
- I’m going to school today, even though I am tired.
- If my roommate does not pay his share of the rent, we shall be evicted.
- She went to the theme park but refused to go on any of the rides.
The underlined portion in each of the sentences above can clearly stand by itself and function as a complete sentence. It is, therefore, an independent clause.
Here are some examples of independent clauses that can stand alone as complete sentences:
- I am waiting to have my car’s oil changed.
- The professor always comes five minutes early to class.
- Swimming keeps me in shape.
A dependent clause, also called a subordinate clause, does not express a complete idea or thought. It must be attached to an independent clause in order to function as a complete sentence. Look at these sentences:
- I’m going to school today, even though I am tired.
- If my roommate does not pay his share of the rent, we shall be evicted.
- She went to the theme park but refused to go on any of the rides.
None of the underlined portions in the sentences above express a complete thought or idea. Therefore, they cannot function as complete sentences.
With a clear understanding of dependent and independent clauses, it’s now time to look at the four types of sentence structures.
Types of Sentence Structures
1. Simple Sentences
A simple sentence consists of a single independent clause, with no conjunction or dependent clause. As seen above, an independent clause has a subject, a verb, and an object and expresses a complete idea or thought. For example:
- Rachel went to the fair yesterday.
In the above sentence, Rachel is the subject, went is the verb, and the fair is the object of the sentence.
Not surprisingly, simple sentences are the easiest type of sentence structure to understand and construct. They adhere to a straightforward Subject-Verb-Object pattern.
The noun (person, place, or thing) at the beginning of the sentence is the subject and the doer of the action that takes place in the sentence. The verb is the action word that expresses what the doer does. The verb is followed by the object of the sentence; the object is the recipient of the action that occurs in the sentence.
Let’s take another example:
- I saw a rainbow in the sky.
In the sentence above, the subject (doer of the action) is I, the verb (action) is saw, and the object (recipient of the action) is the rainbow in the sky.
Subject – I
Verb – saw
Object – rainbow in the sky
Simple sentences aren’t necessarily short. For example:
- Amy carelessly threw her favorite ripped jeans, her old high school sweater, a pair of red socks, and a purse full of cash into the suitcase.
Despite its length and seeming sophistication, this is still a simple sentence as it follows the basic subject-verb-object pattern.
Subject – Amy
Verb – threw
Object – her favorite ripped jeans, her old high school sweater, a pair of red socks, and a purse full of cash into the suitcase.
2. Compound Sentences
Compound sentences consist of a minimum of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Some coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but, or, so, are used more frequently than the others. Conjunctions connect the two parts of a compound sentence, each of which could function as an independent sentence.
Compound sentences add rhythm and variety to writing. They are often used for stylistic purposes when there is a strong relationship between the two independent clauses. It is, however, important to remember that each can stand alone as a separate sentence, expressing a complete thought or idea. For example:
- He ran fast.
- The train had left the station.
The two simple sentences above can be converted into a single compound sentence with the help of a coordinating conjunction that highlights the relationship between the two.
He ran fast but the train had left the station.
In addition, the conjunction in a compound sentence can be replaced by a semicolon. For example:
He ran fast; the train had left the station.
3. Complex Sentences
A complex sentence will have at least one independent and one dependent clause. The independent clause is also called the main clause. These clauses are joined by subordinating conjunctions (after, as, as long as, although, before, because, even if, if, in case, in order to, once, though, that, until, when, whenever, wherever, while). For example:
- Although (subordinating conjunction) he ran fast (dependent clause), he couldn’t catch the train (independent clause).
- Our dog barks (independent clause) when (subordinating conjunction) he hears the mailman (dependent clause).
- Parallel lines don’t meet (independent clause) until (subordinating conjunction) one of them is bent (dependent clause).
Complex sentences come in handy when writers want to explore complex ideas, illustrate cause and effect, bring in comparisons and contrasts, and in general, bring variety to their writing.
4. Compound-Complex Sentences
Not surprisingly, compound-complex sentences are the most difficult type of sentence structure to understand and construct. As the name suggests, a compound-complex sentence consists of 1 dependent clause and at least 2 independent clauses. For example:
- Since the gym was closed, James decided to go for a run in the park before he went home for breakfast.
The above sentence begins with a subordinating conjunction, followed by a dependent clause and a compound sentence. The bracketed portion of the same sentence contains a complex sentence:
(Since the gym was closed, James decided to go for a run in the park) before he went home for breakfast.
Here is another example:
- Though (subordinating conjunction) Madison prefers watching spy thrillers (dependent clause), she chose a romantic comedy to watch over the weekend (independent clause) and (coordinating conjunction) she enjoyed it very much (independent clause).
Compound-complex sentences help writers express complex ideas and add variety to a piece of writing. It is, however, important to pay attention to the placement of commas in these long, elaborately structured sentences in order to avoid confusion.