Sentences: Simple, Compound, and Complex
1. Simple Sentences
A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed
thought.
Examples of simple sentences include the following:
1. Joe waited for the train.
"Joe" = subject, "waited" = verb
2. The train was late.
"The train" = subject, "was" = verb
3. Mary and Samantha took the bus.
"Mary and Samantha" = compound subject, "took" = verb
4. I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station.
"I" = subject, "looked" = verb
5. Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station early but waited until noon for the bus.
"Mary and Samantha" = compound subject, "arrived" and "waited" = compound verb
A simple sentence can also be referred to as an independent clause. It is referred to as "independent"
because, while it might be part of a compound or complex sentence, it can also stand by itself as a complete
sentence.
2. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence refers to a sentence made up of two independent clauses (or complete sentences)
connected to one another with a coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are easy to
remember if you think of the words "FAN BOYS":
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
Examples of compound sentences include the following:
1. Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.
2. I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station, but they arrived at the station before noon and left
on the bus before I arrived.
3. Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, and they left on the bus before I arrived.
4. Mary and Samantha left on the bus before I arrived, so I did not see them at the bus station.
