4 TYPES OF SENTENCES

Finding Subjects and Verbs:

1. A simple subject is the part of a sentence about which something is said.

My dog licks my toes.

Give only a noun or pronoun when asked to identify the subject of a sentence. Don’t include
all the words which describe or modify it. This is called the simple subject.

Many unhappy people hate their lives.

People is the simple subject.

2. Sometimes there is more than one subject. A compound subject is made up of two or more
simple subjects.

Students and teachers need school.

3. A verb is the part of the sentence that tells what someone or something is, does, or
experiences.

She is tired.
He wrote a letter.

4. Sometimes there is more than one verb. Here is a sentence with a compound verb.

He talks slowly but eats fast.

The 4 Types of Sentences:

There are four types of sentences according to their structure. You should use all four in your
writing.

1. SIMPLE

A simple sentence may have one subject or a compound subject. It may have a simple verb
or compound verb. (compound means “2”)

My back aches. (simple subject; simple verb)

My teeth and eyes hurt. (compound subject; simple verb)
My hair and my teeth are falling out and disappearing. (compound subject;
compound verb)

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 2. COMPOUND

A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses. The clauses are joined by:

a) a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) with a comma before
the conjunction;
b) a conjunctive adverb with a semicolon before the adverb and a comma after it;
c) a semicolon all by itself.

Mary is tall, but her brother is short. (coordinating conjunction)

My students are good, and my job is rewarding. (coordinating conjunction)
Grammar is easy; therefore, I learned it quickly. (“therefore” is a conjunctive
adverb)
Grammar is easy; I learned it quickly (semicolon)

Watch out! If you don’t use the conjunction and the punctuation, you may have a run-on sentence.
For example:

Mary is tall her brother is short. (This is a run-on. There is no conjunction and no punctuation
[comma].)

Joe is tall, his brother is short. (This is also a run-on. There is punctuation (comma) but no
conjunction.)

Which of the following are run-on’s and which are correct sentences? Write RO or CS for
correct sentence.

1. I am having a good time at Laguardia Community College, I’ve met a lot of new friends.
_____
2. My instructor gives us a lot of homework I feel I don’t have enough time to do it all. ___
3. My schedule is very busy, but I always make time to go to the gym. ___
4. Savannah is a small city it has an interesting history.
5. I live in an apartment in Queens I am very close to my college.

3. COMPLEX

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

When I go to the beach, I swim in the ocean.

When I go to the beach – dependent clause

I swim in the ocean – independent clause

Watch out! A dependent clause by itself is not a sentence.

“When I go to the beach” cannot be a sentence. It is not an independent clause. It is only a
dependent clause. A dependent clause all by itself with a period at the end is called a
fragment.
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 Here are some more examples:
Because I want a career in art, I chose this college. (complete sentence)
Because I want a career in art. (fragment – just a dependent clause)
I chose this college. (independent clause – can stand alone as a sentence)

Which of the following are fragments? Which are complete sentences? Write F or CS.

1. One night a beautiful cat came to my door. ___

2. And cried for food. ___
3. After that first night. ___
4. The cat has stayed with me. ___
5. Bobby is a large cat. ___
6. With one torn ear. ___
7. He sleeps a lot during the day. ___
8. And hunts at night. ___
9. He tries to catch mice. ___
10. Too fast for him. ___
11. My cat and some of the neighborhood cats. ___
12. They fight sometimes. ___

The dependent clause of a complex sentence has a subject and verb, but they are not the main
subject and verb of the sentence. They are called the dependent subject and verb. This is because
the dependent clause depends on the independent clause for meaning. “Because I was sick” has no
meaning. But if we combine it with “I stayed home,” it makes sense. “Because I was sick, I stayed
home” is a complete sentence.

The independent clauses of a compound sentence have a subject and verb too. Remember that in a
compound sentence, each clause can stand alone as a little sentence. Therefore, each clause of a
compound sentence has a main subject and a main verb.

4. COMPOUND-COMPLEX

A compound-complex sentence has two independent clauses and one (or more) dependent
clauses.

Because grammar is easy, I learned it quickly, but it took me several years to

master writing.

Check your understanding:

Identify the subject(s) and verb(s) in the following sentences. Underline the main subject(s) and
label with MS. Underline the main verb(s) and label with MV. If the sentence has a dependent
clause, label the subject(s) and verb(s) with DS and DV. Then write the type of sentence it is in the
blank. If the sentence is compound-complex, do NOT try to label it.

1. My parents live in a small town. ____________________

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 2. Famous people often have unhappy private lives. _________________

3. My father works hard as an auto mechanic, and my mother teaches elementary school.
_____________________

4. On Saturdays, my sister works as a secretary. ___________________

5. On top of my desk is a dictionary. ____________________

6. The four women and two men walked to the train station. __________________

7. The students are laughing and talking. ____________________

8. We sometimes get angry, but we love each other very much. ____________________

9. Every person in my family is nice and a little crazy. ____________________

10. I ran to class because I was late, but when I got there the test had already been given.
_______________________

In the following sentences, identify the subjects and verbs of both the independent and dependent
clauses. Write MS and MV over the main subjects(s) and main verb(s) of the sentence. Write DS
and DV over the dependent clause subject(s) and verb(s). If it is a compound-complex sentence,
do not try to label it. Write the type of sentence in the blank.

1. I like my city because it has many famous things to see. _______________

2. Bob, who is a professor in our department, is teaching a course in writing next term.
________________

3. The Empire State Building, where King Kong climbed to the top, is a historic building in
New York City. _______________

4. For example, it was built in 1932. ________________

5. Jane did not study, yet she passed the exam. ________________

6. The chemistry book, that the professor recommended, is too expensive. ______________

7. Since the quarter began, I have met a lot of new people and gone to many
parties.________________

8. Since the quarter began, I have met a lot of new people, but I haven’t met anyone I’d like to
spend a lot of time with. _______________

9. I broke up with my girlfriend, but I’m alright because I found a new one. _______________

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 10. I want to be a great success in my fashion design career; therefore, I’m getting a graduate
degree from Pratt Institute. _______________

We are studying the different types of sentences and their structure because it is very important! If
you leave out a subject or verb—whether it’s a main subject or verb or a dependent subject or verb
—your sentence will fall apart! Look at the following sentences and figure out what’s missing.

1. Last year bought a new computer.

2. When he sick, I took him some chicken soup.

3. I confused, so I made an appointment with my teacher.

4. Jumping up and down with happiness.

5. The party last night, which was a lot of fun.

6. Because I very tired, I went home early.

7. After the party was over, to a bar on River Street and danced until dawn.

Fragments and Run-Ons

Identify which of the following are good sentences, fragments or run-ons. If you see a fragment,
write F in the blank and correct. If you see a run-on, write RO in the blank and correct it. If it is a
correct sentence, write CS in the blank.

1. ___Some people like cats, others prefer dogs.

2. ___Kittens are cute, also they like to play.

3. ___Drawing II students have a lot of projects to complete, so they often neglect their ESL
responsibilities.

4. ___Dogs are good companions, and they can also protect you.

5. ___We helped our hosts clean up after the party then we went home.

6. ___Television programs, which children learn from.

7. ___Before I came to the United States.

8. ___Television programs show hundreds of violent acts every day.

9. ___If you want to transfer to another college.

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 10. ___Ron, who sometimes teaches four classes a day.

TOEFL QUESTIONS – Use what you know about subjects and verbs and the different types of
sentences to answer these questions.

1. Great numbers of tiny shelled animals 2. Disney World, _____ is a huge amusement
____ on the ocean floor. Park in Orlando Florida, gets millions of
(A) living visitors every year.
(B) they will live (A) where
(C) where they live (B) in the US
(D) live (C) which
(D)in the Southeast
2. The art of storytelling ______ almost as old as humanity.
(A) that is
(B) is
(C) it is
(D) being

3. A lot of people are careless when _____ of their garbage.

(A) dispose
(B) they dispose
(C)dispose
(D)they disposed

4. Gulls are sometimes called “rats of the air” ______ eat almost anything.
(A) but they
(B) since they
(C) they
(D) because

5. _____ two major art museums, the Fogg and the Sadler.
(A) Harvard University has
(B) At Harvard University
(C) Harvard University, with its
(D) There at Harvard University

6. New York is a beautiful city with many parks and squares, but _____very dangerous
sometimes.
(A) it
(B) it is
(C) is

IN COMPOUND SENTENCES, MAKE SURE THERE ARE 2 SUBJECTS AND 2

VERBS!

IN COMPLEX SENTENCES, MAKE SURE EACH CLAUSE HAS A SUBJECT AND

A VERB!!
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