Understanding Compound and Complex Sentences

Simple Sentences

Simple sentences consist of one independent clause. They express complete thoughts and typically contain a subject and predicate. Here's how you can identify them:

Mary ate an apple(https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-simple-sentence-579783)

Types of Compound Sentences

Compound sentences have more than one independent clause. These clauses must be joined by coordinating conjunctions like and, but, or, so, yet, for (result), and nor. Examples of compound sentences include:

John went to the park; he saw many birds(https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-simple-sentence-579783)

In this sentence, there are two independent clauses separated by the conjunction and.

Constructing Compound Sentences

To create compound sentences, follow these steps:

1. Identify two related ideas that would make sense together.
2. Decide which conjunction best connects the ideas.
3. Place each idea into its own sentence structure.
4. Choose between using two separate sentences or combining the ideas.

Here are some examples of compound sentences constructed from two related ideas:

I love chocolate ice cream, especially when it is melted all over my cone(http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/compound-complex-sentences/)

In this sentence, we have two independent clauses separated by the conjunction especially.

Combining Simple Sentences

Combining simple sentences involves joining two or more sentences with appropriate transitional words. For example:

John ate breakfast. He also exercised before going to work(https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-simple-sentence-579783)

In this case, we have two independent sentences connected by the transitional word also.

Compound Complex Sentences

Compound complex sentences consist of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. The dependent clauses cannot stand alone and must be connected to an independent clause. Here's an example:

John ate breakfast; because he wanted to lose weight, he also exercised before going to work(https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-simple-sentence-579783)

In this sentence, we have an independent clause (John ate breakfast) and a dependent clause (because he wanted to lose weight, he also exercised before going to work). The dependent clause cannot stand alone and is connected to the independent clause by the conjunction and.