Four Types of Sentence Structure
Writing that contains mostly short, simple sentences can be uninteresting or even irritating to read. Writing that consists of mostly long, complex sentences is can also be equally difficult to read. Good writers, therefore, use a variety of sentence types.
- Simple: Contains a single, independent clause - one subject / predicate pair.
- Simple = I
- I don't like dogs.
- Our school basketball team lost their last game of the season 75-68.
- The old hotel opposite the bus station in the center of the town is probably going to be knocked down at the end of next year.
- Compound: Contains two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction, semicolon, or conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, furthermore) - two subject / predicate pairs.
- Compound = I + I
- I don't like dogs; my sister doesn't like cats.
- You can write on paper, or you can use a computer.
- A tree fell onto the school roof in a storm; however, none of the students was injured.
- Complex: Contains an independent clause plus one or more subordinate clauses (adjective, adverb, or noun) - two or more subject / predicate pairs
- Complex = I + S
- I don't like dogs that bark at me when I go past.
- She did my homework, while her father cooked dinner.
- You can write on paper, although a computer is better if you want to correct mistakes easily.
- Compound-complex: Contains three or more clauses (of which at least two are independent and one is subordinate) - three or more subject / predicate pairs.
- Compound-complex = I + I + S
- I don't like dogs; my sister doesn't like cats because they make her sneeze.
- You can write on paper, but using a computer is better as you can easily correct your mistakes.
- A tree fell onto the school roof in a storm; however, none of the students was injured, although many of them were in classrooms at the top of the building.
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1. Analyzing Sentence Structures in Writing Writers craft their sentences carefully by using a variety of structures to add interest and rhythm to their writing. Adverb and adjective clauses, for example, provide descriptive details to engage a reader’s imagination. A variety of types of sentences can change the rhythm of writing or call attention to certain ideas.
Upload the file below to identify and analyze the sentence structures in two short paragraphs.
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2. Analyzing Sentence Structures in Your Writing Now that we've had practice seeing how other writers use various sentence structures to add interest and rhythm to their writing, it is time to apply our skills to our own writing.
Upload the file below. You will be asked to write a 150-200 word response to one of several prompts, highlight the independent and subordinate clauses in your writing, then identify and tally the sentence structures you used in your writing.
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3. Revising Sentence Structure to Improve Variety
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4. Sentence Structure Practice Test
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