There are various types of sentences that we can use in our writing, helping to keep the reader interested and engaged. These different types of sentences vary based on their structures and the type and number of clauses they contain. This article will introduce the four main sentence types in English, explain how we form them, and provide plenty of examples.
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Types of Sentences in English
There are four different types of sentences in the English language. They are:
We can identify each sentence type by looking at the clauses. A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb; they are the building blocks of sentences. There are two major clause types in English: independent clauses and dependent clauses.
- An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence and expresses a complete thought (i.e. doesn't rely on any more explanation). It always contains a subject and a verb.e.g. 'the Blue Whale is the biggest animal in the world.'e.g. 'I don't like peanut butter.'
- A dependent clause (also called a 'subordinate clause') cannot stand alone in a sentence as it does not express a complete thought. It often gives us additional information about an independent clause. Dependent clauses must still contain a subject and a verb.e.g. 'when Sarah arrives.' e.g. 'the one in France.'
We now know that sentence types vary depending on the clauses, and we know what the two types of clauses are. So, let's look at how we identify each sentence type.
Simple sentences - Contains an independent clause.
Compound sentences - Two independent clauses joined together with a conjunction (joining word).
Complex sentences - Contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
Compound-complex sentences - Contains multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Fig 1. Varying your sentence types can make your writing more engaging
Types of Sentences with Examples
Now that we know the different types of sentences let's look at each one in more detail and provide some examples.
Simple sentences
As the name suggests, this sentence type is the most simplistic of the three. It is made up of just one independent clause. Simple sentences can also contain modifiers and an object, but these aren't necessary for the sentence to make sense.
Examples of simple sentences
Here are some examples of simple sentences:
- The train leaves at 5 am!
- I couldn't find Mary at the park.
- Josh loves skiing.
Remember that independent clauses always have a subject and a verb. We can see this in the previous sentences. For example, in the first sentence, 'train' is the subject, and 'leaves' is the verb.
Simple sentences are often used to communicate things clearly. The sentences do not need added information and make sense on their own.
Compound sentences
Compound sentences combine two or more independent clauses (main clauses), joining them with a comma and coordinating conjunction or a semicolon (;).
- Coordinating conjunction – a connecting word that joins two words, phrases, clauses, or sentences that hold equal importance. The seven coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, or, nor, yet, so, for.
Compound sentences do not contain dependent clauses (clauses that rely on the rest of the sentence). If the two (or more) independent clauses weren't joined together, they would still work independently as simple sentences. Each independent clause must contain its own subject and verb.
Let's break down a compound sentence, explaining all the aspects that make it a compound sentence.
I need to go to work, but I am too sick to drive.
The first independent clause is 'I need to go to work' - it contains a subject (I ) and two verbs (need and go).
The second independent clause is 'I am too sick to drive' - it contains a subject (I ) and a verb (drive).
The two clauses are joined together with a comma and the coordinating conjunction but. If the two clauses were separated into two sentences, they would still make sense. E.g. I need to go to work. I am too sick to drive.
Comma splices
A common grammar mistake many people make when forming compound sentences is the comma splice. A comma splice is when two independent clauses are joined together with only a comma - this is incorrect and should be avoided! For example, 'Spiders have eight legs, they are arachnids.' is a grammatically incorrect sentence. When joining two independent clauses, we must use a comma alongside a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. E.g. 'Spiders have eight legs; they are arachnids.'
Examples of compound sentences
Here are some examples of compound sentences:
- He ran out of money, so he couldn't buy any lunch.
- The garden is huge; it has two ponds.
- I need to get up early, yet I cannot fall asleep.
Complex sentences
Complex sentences are slightly different from the other two types of sentences as they include a dependent clause (also known as a subordinate clause) and an independent clause.
The dependent clause adds extra information about the independent clause and cannot stand on its own as a complete thought. However, the dependent clause must still contain a subject and a verb. The two clauses are joined together using subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns.
- Subordinating conjunction – a connecting word that links a dependent ('subordinate') clause to an independent clause e.g. although, because, rather than, even though, after, until.
- Relative pronoun – a connecting word that introduces a relative clause (i.e. a clause that gives more information about a noun) e.g. which, that, who, whose, whom, whoever.
Examples of compound sentences
Let's look at some examples of complex sentences. In the following sentences, the independent clauses are in blue, the connecting words are in red, and the dependent clauses are in green.
- I heated my food in the microwave because it had gone cold.
- Customers shop here often whenever the prices go down.
- Amy sent back her item after she realised it was damaged.
Let's look at the first sentence in more detail. The dependent clause 'it had gone cold' contains a subject and a verb, but doesn't make sense on its own as we wouldn't know what 'it' was referring to.
Compound-complex sentences
This type of sentence is made up of a combination of a compound sentence and a complex sentence - as the name suggests!
Compound-complex sentences contain two (or more) independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. As they can include a lot of clauses, they are usually the longest sentence type.
The rules for linking the clauses together are the same for both compound and complex sentences:
If we join an independent clause to another independent clause, then we use a comma with a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.
If we join a dependent clause to an independent clause, we use a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun.
Examples of complex-compound sentences
Here are some examples of complex-compound sentences. The independent clauses are in blue, the dependent clauses are in green, and the connectives are in red.
- When I grow up, I want to be a nurse, and I want to help people who are ill.
- After we went outside, I was feeling cold, and it started raining.
- I went to the pet shop, even though I didn't have any money, and I bought a cute kitten.
Fig 2. Who could blame you for buying this kitten?
Identifying Sentence Types
Now that you've learned the differences between the four sentence types, let's think about how to identify them.
One way of doing this is to look out for the number of independent and dependent clauses:
A simple sentence is easy to recognise as it has only one independent clause.
A compound sentence contains two independent clauses and no dependent clauses.
A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one dependent clause.
A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
We can also look at the types of connectives used in a sentence:
Difference Between Sentence Types and Sentence Functions
In this article, we have learned about the four sentence types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. However, we have to be careful not to confuse sentence types with sentence functions (of which there are also four).
The four sentence functions are:
The difference between the types of sentences covered in this article and the functions of sentences is quite simple. 'Sentence type' refers to the layout and structure of the sentence, whereas 'sentence function' is talking about the content (i.e. what the sentence is used for).
Take a look at this sentence.
Will you wash the dishes?
This is a simple sentence (sentence type) and is also an interrogative (sentence function). This is because it only contains one independent clause and is an interrogative because it is asking a question.
Types of Sentence - Key Takeaways
- There are four types of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.
- Simple sentences contain one independent clause.
- Compound sentences contain two (or more) independent clauses, joined together by a comma and a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.
- Complex sentences contain at least one dependent clause linked to the main clause with a subordinating conjunction.
- Compound-complex sentences contain at least one dependent clause and at least two independent clauses.
- Sentence types differ from sentence functions.
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