Sentence Types
This type of sentence contains only one main clause and expresses a complete thought.
Simple Sentence
This type of clause makes sense on its own as a complete sentence.
Independent/coordinate clause.
This type of conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance (e.g. and, but, or).
Coordinating conjunction.
This type of sentence has only one main clause and no subordinate clauses.
Simple sentence.
This type of sentence links two main clauses with a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or so.
Compound Sentence.
This type of clause cannot stand alone and needs a main clause to complete its meaning.
Dependent/subordinate clause.
This type of conjunction introduces a clause that depends on the main clause (e.g. because, although, when).
Subordinate conjunction.
In the sentence “I wanted to go swimming, but it was too cold,” what type of clauses are joined, and what conjunction joins them?
Two coordinate clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction but.
This sentence type contains a main clause and at least one subordinate clause.
Complex sentence.
This clause begins with a subordinating conjunction like because, although, or when.
Subordinate/dependent clause.
In the sentence “You can have tea or coffee, for both are available,” identify the conjunctions and their types.
or (coordinating), for (coordinating)
In the sentence “She stayed inside because it was raining,” identify the main clause, the subordinate clause, and the conjunction.
Main clause: “She stayed inside.” Subordinate clause: “because it was raining.” Conjunction: because (subordinating).
This short, incomplete sentence often appears in speech or dramatic writing, e.g. “Silence.”
Minor sentence.
Clauses joined with and, but, or so are examples of this type.
Independent/coordinate clause.
In the sentence “Although he was tired, he kept working until the sun went down,” identify the conjunctions and their types.
although (subordinating), until (subordinating)
This sentence contains two main clauses and one subordinate clause: “I tried to phone you, but you didn’t answer because you were busy.” Identify each clause and the types of conjunctions.
Main clauses: “I tried to phone you,” “you didn’t answer.” Subordinate clause: “because you were busy.” Conjunctions: but (coordinating), because (subordinating).
This sentence type contains at least two main clauses and at least one subordinate clause.
Compound-complex sentence.
In the sentence “I wanted to go swimming, but I stayed home because it was raining,” identify which clauses are coordinate and which are subordinate.
“I wanted to go swimming” (coordinate), “I stayed home” (coordinate), and “because it was raining” (subordinate).
In the sentence “I will go to the park if it stops raining, and I will take my dog while my brother stays home,” identify all the conjunctions and their types.
if (subordinating), and (coordinating), while (subordinating)
n the sentence “Although I wanted to play football, I stayed home and read a book, but my sister went out because she had training,” identify all the clauses (main vs subordinate) and all the conjunctions (coordinating vs subordinating).
Subordinate clause: “Although I wanted to play football.” Main clauses: “I stayed home,” “I read a book,” “my sister went out.” Conjunctions: although (subordinating), and (coordinating), but (coordinating), because (subordinating).