Mastering Sentence Structure

• Understanding sentence structure enhances writing skills, similar to reading music for piano expression.

Four Types of Sentences

• Four main sentence types exist: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

Simple Sentences

• Simple sentences contain one independent clause.
• Independent clauses are identified by having one subject and one verb.
• "I swam and fished yesterday" is a simple sentence with one subject and two verbs.
• "Jack and Jill went up the hill" is a simple sentence with two subjects and one verb.

Compound Sentences

• Compound sentences have two independent clauses linked by a coordinating conjunction.
• "Jack went up the front of the hill, and Jill went up the side of the hill" is a compound sentence.
• This sentence includes two subjects: Jack and Jill, and two verbs: going up the front of the hill and going up the side of the hill, connected by "and."

Complex Sentences

• Complex sentences contain one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses with subordinating conjunctions.
• "Jack fell down the hill because he tripped on a rock" is a complex sentence.
• The independent clause: Jack falling down the hill.
• The subordinating conjunction explains why he fell.

Compound-Complex Sentences

• Compound-complex sentences have two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
• "Jack fell down the hill because he tripped on a rock, and then Jill fell down the hill when she heard Jack scream" is a compound-complex sentence.
• This sentence has two independent clauses with Jack and Jill as subjects, and falling down the hill attributed to both.
• The dependent clauses: tripping on a rock and hearing a scream.

Choosing a Sentence Structure

• Select sentence structure based on your audience's knowledge of the topic.
• Use simple sentences to introduce new concepts, ideas, or characters.
• Use compound or complex sentences to elaborate on previously presented information.
• Use compound-complex sentences when readers need to consider multiple characters, ideas, or theories simultaneously.