Sentence Structures

What is a sentence?
 Sentences are nice little packages of words that come together to express
complete thoughts. They make it easy to understand ideas and learn
information.

Parts of Sentences:
 Subject,
 Predicate,
 Direct Object,
 Indirect Object,
 Complement
The subject and predicate make up the two basic structural parts of any
complete sentence. In addition, there are other elements, contained within the
subject or predicate, that add meaning or detail.

These elements include the direct object, indirect object, and subject
complement. All of these elements can be expanded and further combined into
simple, compound, complex, or compound/complex sentences.
Parts of sentence

 SUBJECT
The subject of a sentence is the person, place, or thing that is performing the action of the sentence. The
subject represents what or whom the sentence is about. The simple subject usually contains a noun or
pronoun and can include modifying words, phrases, or clauses.
The man . . .
 PREDICATE
The predicate expresses action or being within the sentence. The simple predicate contains the verb and
can also contain modifying words, phrases, or clauses.
The man /  builds a house.
 Parts of sentence

DIRECT OBJECT: The direct object receives the action of the sentence. The direct object is usually a noun or
pronoun.
 The man builds a house. 
 The man builds it.
INDIRECT OBJECT: The indirect object indicates to whom or for whom the action of the sentence is being done. The
indirect object is usually a noun or pronoun.
 The man builds his family a house. 
 The man builds them a house.
SUBJECT COMPLEMENT: A subject complement either renames or describes the subject, and therefore is usually a
noun, pronoun, or adjective. Subject complements occur when there is a linking verb within the sentence (often a
linking verb is a form of the verb to be).
 The man is a good father. (father = noun which renames the subject)
 The man seems kind. (kind = adjective which describes the subject)
Important Note: A noun can function within a sentence as subject,
direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, or subject
complement.
Types of Sentence Structures
1. Simple Sentences

A simple sentence contains only one independent clause. An independent clause is a

group of words that has both a subject and a verb, and expresses a complete thought.

 I kicked the ball is an independent clause. It contains a subject (I) and a verb (kicked),
and it expresses a complete thought. 
 By the way, simple sentences can have compound elements. Jeremy and I kicked the
ball. That sentence has a compound subject. Don't confuse these 
simple sentences with compound sentences.
 2. Compound Sentences

 A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses. These

clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. (When
you join two independent clauses with only a comma, it's a mistake
called a comma splice.)
 A coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) is a word that
glues words, phrases, or clauses together.
3. Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains a subordinate clause and

an independent clause. A subordinate clause is a group
of words that has a subject and a verb but does not
express a complete thought.

 Tom cried is an independent clause. 

 Because the ball hit him is a 
dependent adverb clause modifying the
verb cried. 
 Tom cried because the ball hit him is a complex
sentence.
 4. Compound-Complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence is just what it seems like it would be. :)

It's basically a combination of a compound sentence and a complex
sentence. You know what that means, right? It means that these contain
at least two independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause.

 Tom cried and I apologized immediately are both independent

clauses. They're being joined by the conjunction and. 
 Because the ball hit him is a dependent adverb clause modifying
the verb cried. 
 The whole sentence is a compound-complex sentence. 
 Basic Sentence Structure: summary

 There are four basic sentence structures in English:

 A simple sentence is a sentence with just one independent clause (also called a main clause): Judy laughed.

 A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses: Judy laughed and Jimmy cried.

 A complex sentence contains an independent clause and at least one dependent clause: Jimmy cried when Judy laughed.

 A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause: Judy laughed
and Jimmy cried when the clowns ran past their seats.
Exercises
Combine the thoughts into a good paragraph.

Every bus needs a driver.

We have over 3000 students.
My school is one of the largest in the state.
Every bus costs a lot of money.
To get all of us to school, our district had to buy 100 buses.
We have over 300 staff members.
Buses are not cheap.
My school is one of the largest in the state. We have over 3000 students
and 300 staff members. To get all of us to school, our district had to buy
100 buses. These are not cheap. Every bus costs a lot of money, and
every bus needs a driver.
Underline the subject. Circle the predicate

1. My brother and sister love to eat tacos and nachos on Tuesdays.

2. Susan and Charlie will do their homework and go to the library.
3. Those tables and chairs are going to be sold this weekend.
4. Alex, Ann, and Marie go to school and go to their jobs.
5. The boys and the girls are walking quickly to the restroom.
6. Her mom and dad call her every day.
7. My leg and my arm are both sore from my bike accident yesterday.
8. Mary and John watched this movie last week.
9. My grandma and my grandpa gave me an awesome new phone for my birthday.
10. I am going to the store to buy a pizza after school today.
Label each sentence in the paragraph simple, compound, or
complex.

The little girl has three dogs ( simple ). Skippy eats grass, and he runs around all day
(___________). Skippy plays more than any of the other dogs because he has the
most energy (___________). Lazybones hates playing (___________). She sleeps in
her bed, and she relaxes in the sun (___________). She loves to sit
(___________).She doesn’t eat a lot because she doesn’t have much of an appetite
(___________). Rocky plays a lot (___________). He loves playing fetch, and he
enjoys going on walks (___________). He is the youngest puppy since he is only
two months old (___________). All of the dogs are nice to people (___________).
Identify the direct object and the indirect object.

1.My mom is giving me a car for my birthday.

2. The teacher wants a dog for her little brother.

3. My sister gave her friends a gift.

4. Robert fed the cat some treats.

5. Sylvie sent you the letter about the party.

6. The policeman gave my dad a ticket for going too fast.

7. The architect designed the company a building.

8. My grandpa built my sister a dollhouse for Christmas.

9. The nurse read the patient a book at the hospital.

10. My grandma tells me fun stories when I visit.

Combine the sentences.

1. We saw the movie. The movie was playing at the cinema downtown.

2. The test was difficult. We took the test yesterday.

3. Did you eat the pizza? My mom made the pizza. My mom made the pizza today.

4. The dog loves the park. The dog enjoys running by the pond. _

5. The policeman ran fast. The policeman caught the criminal. The policeman was strong.

6. My brother went to college. My parents went to college.

7. The teacher gives homework. The homework is difficult. The homework is about science.

8. Alison bought the scarf. She gave the scarf to her mom.
Add descriptive language to the sentences to make them more
interesting. Some suggested words are shown.

1. The dog runs in the park. (fluffy, sprints, green)

The fluffy dog sprints in the green park.
2. The actress studies her role. (complicated, memorizes, beautiful)
_______________________________________________________
3. Our teacher watches her students. (excited, math, observes)
_______________________________________________________
4. The parents look at their baby. (stare, adorable, new)
_______________________________________________________
5. The singer sings the song.
_______________________________________________________
6. The dentist drives to his office.
_______________________________________________________
7. The criminal calls his mom.
 Add descriptive language to the sentences to make them more
interesting. Some suggested words are shown.

1. The pilot flies the plane. (experienced, huge)

The experienced pilot flies the huge plane.

2. The boss talks to his employees. (dedicated, powerful, speaks)

3. Our cows make milk. (delicious, create, dairy)

4. The company sent a letter. (large, submitted, lengthy)

5. The actor was happy to make the movie.

6. The book explains the history of the town.

8. The businessman pays the bill.

 Shorten these sentences to make them more powerful.

1. I didn’t do my homework, and because of this I wasn’t allowed to go outside for recess.
2. The little, baby girl, who looked lost, wasn’t paying any attention to her mother who was trying to talk to her.
3. This singer on the radio that my dad owns was singing a new song that was catchy.
4. Our sandwiches were delicious, and the toppings were yummy.
5. She had to call her parents to get permission to come stay at my house so that she could stay the night.
6. The bands played songs that were fantastic, so we danced and danced and danced from morning until night.
7. The young couple, who were in love, decided to get married—which is what many couples decide to do.
8. You cannot go to the park unless you have a permit, which you have to buy from the sheriff’s office that is nearby.
Shorten these sentences to make them more powerful.

1. She didn’t watch the film, and because of this she had no idea how to explain it to me.
2. The fluffy dog, who was running through the yard, was tearing up the grass in the yard in a very quick way.
3. The car that was blue and green sped down the street where my friend lives with his family.
4. The drinks were refreshing, so we ordered a few more to share with our friends who were thirsty.
5. He was required to go to school because he had to get a paper signed by his teacher who teaches math.
6. The girls’ dance moves were fantastic because they practiced their dance just like professionals practice.
7. Our family, while vacationing in Texas where it was very hot, jumped into the pool where it was very cold.
8. Your mom needs to call me as soon as she can, so we can talk about your going on a trip with our class.
The End