Simple sentences list

ENG 1001: Sentences: Simple, Compound, and Complex

A common weakness in writing is the lack of varied sentences. Becoming aware of three general types of sentences--simple, compound, and complex--can help you vary the sentences in your writing.

The most effective writing uses a variety of the sentence types explained below.

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  

Tip: If you use many simple sentences in an essay, you should consider revising some of the sentences into compound or complex sentences (explained below).

The use of compound subjects, compound verbs, prepositional phrases (such as "at the bus station"), and other elements help lengthen simple sentences, but simple sentences often are short. The use of too many simple sentences can make writing "choppy" and can prevent the writing from flowing smoothly.  

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
• B ut
• 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.

Tip: If you rely heavily on compound sentences in an essay, you should consider revising some of them into complex sentences (explained below).

Coordinating conjunctions are useful for connecting sentences, but compound sentences often are overused. While coordinating conjunctions can indicate some type of relationship between the two independent clauses in the sentence, they sometimes do not indicate much of a relationship. The word "and," for example, only adds one independent clause to another, without indicating how the two parts of a sentence are logically related. Too many compound sentences that use "and" can weaken writing.

Clearer and more specific relationships can be established through the use of complex sentences. 
 

3. Complex Sentences

A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses connected to it. A dependent clause is similar to an independent clause, or complete sentence, but it lacks one of the elements that would make it a complete sentence. 

Examples of dependent clauses include the following:

• because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon
• while he waited at the train station
• after they left on the bus

Dependent clauses such as those above cannot stand alone as a sentence, but they can be added to an independent clause to form a complex sentence.

Dependent clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions. Below are some of the most common subordinating conjunctions:

• after
• although
• as
• because
• before
• even though
• if
• since
• though
• unless
• until
• when
• whenever
• whereas
• wherever
• while

A complex sentence joins an independent clause with one or more dependent clauses.

The dependent clauses can go first in the sentence, followed by the independent clause, as in the following:

Tip: When the dependent clause comes first, a comma should be used to separate the two clauses.

1. Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, I did not see them at the station.
2. While he waited at the train station, Joe realized that the train was late.
3. After they left on the bus, Mary and Samantha realized that Joe was waiting at the train station.

Conversely, the independent clauses can go first in the sentence, followed by the dependent clause, as in the following:

Tip: When the independent clause comes first, a comma should not be used to separate the two clauses.

1. I did not see them at the station because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon.
2. Joe realized that the train was late while he waited at the train station.
3. Mary and Samantha realized that Joe was waiting at the train station after they left on the bus.

Complex sentences are often more effective than compound sentences because a complex sentence indicates clearer and more specific relationships between the main parts of the sentence. The word "before," for instance, tells readers that one thing occurs before another. A word such as "although" conveys a more complex relationship than a word such as "and" conveys.

The term periodic sentence is used to refer to a complex sentence beginning with a dependent clause and ending with an independent clause, as in "While he waited at the train station, Joe realized that the train was late. "

Periodic sentences can be especially effective because the completed thought occurs at the end of it, so the first part of the sentence can build up to the meaning that comes at the end.

Beginning Sentences with "And" or "Because"

Should you begin a sentence with "and" or "but" (or one of the other coordinating conjunctions)?

The short answer is "no." You should avoid beginning a sentence with "and," "or," "but," or the other coordinating conjunctions. These words generally are used to join together parts of a sentence, not to begin a new sentence.

However, such sentences can be used effectively. Because sentences beginning with these words stand out, they are sometimes used for emphasis. If you use sentences beginning with one of the coordinating conjunctions, you should use these sentences sparingly and carefully.

Should you begin a sentence with "because"?

There is nothing wrong with beginning a sentence with "because."

Perhaps some students are told not to begin a sentence with "because" to avoid sentence fragments (something like "Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon" is a sentence fragment), but it is perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with "because" as long as the sentence is complete (as in "Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, I did not see them at the station. ")

Watch It!

37 Simple Sentence Examples and Worksheet

If you're confused about what makes a sentence simple, these 37 simple sentence examples will help clear things up. This type of sentence can have only one independent clause. It can be long or short, but the basic structure is always the same. There are several types of simple sentences. Read over each type below and use the worksheet to help you practice writing your own simple sentences.

37 Simple Sentence Examples and Worksheet

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One Subject and One Verb

Simple sentences have one subject and one verb or predicate. Some of these have a direct object or a modifier, but they still only have one subject and one verb. If you need to brush up on these parts of speech, read up on Understanding Subjects, Predicates, and Objects. The following examples show how this works:

• The cat stretched.
• Jacob stood on his tiptoes.
• The car turned the corner.
• Kelly twirled in circles.
• She opened the door.
• Aaron made a picture.
• I'm sorry.
• I danced.

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Examples With an Implied Subject

Some simple sentences have a single subject and verb, but the subject isn't stated in the sentence. Instead, the reader knows who the subject is from context. You'll notice that many of these short examples are imperative sentences with an implied subject of "you":

• Run!
• Open the jar carefully.
• Read the directions.
• Don't cry.
• Use common sense.
• Make the best of things.
• Catch up!

These sentences have just one independent clause. Refresh your memory about the difference between independent and dependent clauses if you need clarification.

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Compound Subject and One Verb

You'll also see simple sentences with a compound subject and one verb. In this case, the subjects are joined by a conjunction like "and" and are all performing the action described in the verb. There may be modifiers and direct objects here as well, as you'll see in some of these examples:

• Sarah and Ira drove to the store.
• Jenny and I opened all the gifts.
• The cat and dog ate.
• My parents and I went to a movie.
• Mrs. Juarez and Mr. Smith are dancing gracefully.
• Samantha, Elizabeth, and Joan are on the committee.
• The ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, and corn are gluten-free.
• The paper and pencil sat idle on the desk.

One Subject and Compound Verb

You'll also see some simple sentences with more than one verb and a single subject. In this case, they are compound verbs. The subject is doing all the actions, and the actions go together. The easiest way to see this is with some examples:

• Misha walked and looked around.
• My mother hemmed and hawed over where to go for dinner.
• He was eating and talking.
• I rinsed and dried the dishes.
• Joe stood up and spoke to the crowd.

Examples of Longer Simple Sentences

Although a simple sentence can be a single word, it can also be much longer. Adding modifiers or multiple direct objects can extend the length of the sentence. These examples are all simple sentences, despite their length:

• The mangy, scrawny stray dog hurriedly gobbled down the grain-free, organic dog food.
• I quickly put on my red winter jacket, black snow pants, waterproof boots, homemade mittens, and handknit scarf.
• The incessant ticking and chiming echoed off the weathered walls of the clock repair shop.
• Nervously, I unfolded the wrinkled and stained letter from my long-dead ancestor.
• Into the suitcase, I carelessly threw a pair of ripped jeans, my favorite sweater from high school, an old pair of tube socks with stripes, and $20,000 in cash.

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Simple Sentence Examples From Literature

Writers have been using simple sentences as long as people have been writing. Consider these examples from literature:

• "The Spirits of All Three shall strive within me." A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• "I was the more deceived." Ophelia in Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• "Neither boy spoke." The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• "Call me Ishmael." Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Understand Sentence Structure

Now that you know about simple sentences and have seen some examples, take a moment to learn about other sentence types like compound sentences and complex sentences.The more you know about how sentences are put together, the better your writing will become.

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Simple sentences in English

WAR

All dictatorships create external enemies and repression to sit on the throne forever.

If you can't tell the truth from a clever lie, then think about laws, about freedom of speech, how often and where power has changed.

CNN News BBC News Telegram Wikipedia

Sentence – is a separate statement with intonational and semantic completeness. A sentence is a word or group of words, organized according to the rules of grammar, that carries a specific message, question, exclamation, or call to action.

• It's raining. - It's raining.
• Go outside! - Get outside!
• What are you doing? - What are you doing?

Sentences of the English language, as in Russian, depending on how many grammatical bases (combinations of subject and predicate) in the sentence, are divided into simple and complex sentences.

• Simple sentences
• There is my house. - This is my home.
• I have to go to the university. - I have to go to the university.

• Complex sentences
• There is the house where my family lives. This is the house where my family lives.
• I have to go to the university now but I will come back soon. I have to go to the university now, but I will be back soon.

Simple sentence (a simple sentence) is a sentence in which there is only one grammatical basis (one combination of subject and predicate).

• Kate likes dogs. Kate loves dogs.
• We go jogging every Sunday. We go jogging every Sunday.
• They didn't go to school last year. They didn't go to school last year.

Simple sentences for the purpose of saying

All simple sentences , depending on the purpose of the statement, can be narrative , interrogative , imperative , exclamatory .

Narrative sentences

Declarative sentence (declarative sentence) - a sentence that communicates a certain fact or information in affirmative or negative form . The intonation of such a sentence is mainly descending, direct word order is used (subject before the predicate).

• My name is Paul. - My name is Paul.
• Kate is good at cooking. Kate cooks well.

• I don't like honey. - I don't like honey.
• George hasn't finished his work yet. George has not finished his work yet.

In English, as a rule, there can be only one negation in the sentence , in contrast to the Russian language, where there can be a double negation (the use of particles together not, neither, and negative pronouns, adverbs, etc.) .

• I know nothing. - I do not know anything.
• I don't know anything. - I do not know anything.

• We met no one yesterday. We didn't meet anyone yesterday.
• We didn't meet anyone yesterday. We didn't meet anyone yesterday.

The double negative in English can be used to further strengthen the negative, but this is not common.

• I ain't got no money. - I don't have any money.
• We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control. “We don't need any education, we don't need any thought control.

Interrogative sentences

Interrogative sentence (interrogative sentence) - a sentence that expresses a question. They are formed using indirect word order (predicate before the subject), as well as interrogative words. Interrogative sentences are discussed in detail in the article types of questions.

• Who is there? - Who's there?
• What are you doing now? - What are you doing now?
• Do you like learning English? – Do you like learning English?

Imperative sentences

Imperative sentence (imperative sentence) - a sentence that encourages the interlocutor to act, that is, it expresses an order, request, command, invitation, etc. Such sentences often omit the subject you (you, you), as it is clear from the context, the verb is used only in the infinitive form without the particle to .

• Watch this! – Look at this!
• Listen to me. - Listen to me.
• Go and buy some bread, please. - Go buy some bread, please.

Sometimes in imperative sentences the pronoun you is not omitted in order to emphasize emotionally and strengthen an order or command.

• You sleep now. - You're going to bed now.
• We will rest and you drive. We will rest and you will drive the car.
• I will go to the shop and you stay at home. - I'm going to the store, and you stay at home.

In order to form a negative imperative sentence (prohibition or request), the auxiliary verb do is always used in the negative form, even with the verb to be .

• Don't give me orders! - Don't order me!
• Don't touch it, please. - Don't touch it, please.

• Don't be so silly! - Don't be so stupid!
• Oh, come on, don't be mad. “Oh come on, don’t be mad.

The verb to let (to allow) is used to form an order, command directed at third parties. To let is also used to offer help or ask for permission.

• Let her go. - Let her go. (Let her go.)
• Let him do whatever he wants. Let him do whatever he wants.
• Let the children play with our dog. Let the children play with our dog.

• Let me help you. - Let me help you.
• Let us do this. - Let us do it.

Form let's (short for let us ) is used to suggest a joint action. In this sense, the full form let us is practically not used.

• Let's go for a walk! - Let's go for a walk!
• Let's play football outside. Let's play football outside.
• Let's invite Paul and Janice to the party. Let's invite Paul and Janice to the party.

Exclamatory sentences

Exclamatory sentence (exclamatory sentence) - a sentence expressing certain emotions or feelings. Often such sentences begin with the words what and how and end with the exclamation point .

In exclamatory sentences only direct word order is used. However, often a sentence can only consist of one or two words.

• Marvelous! - Wonderful! (also with a hint of sarcasm)
• How wonderful! - How wonderful!
• It's such a beautiful life! - What a beautiful life!
• What a lovely day it is. - What a wonderful day today.

Types of simple sentences according to the structure

Simple sentences according to their structure (presence or absence of some members of the sentence) are divided into two-part and single-member , as well as on non-common and common .

Two-part sentence

Two-member sentence (two-member sentence) - a sentence in which there are both main members of the sentence (subject and predicate), or one of them is omitted, as it is clear from the context or the previous sentence.

• I don't like this book. - I don't like this book.
• We had a lot of fun in Brazil! Swimming in the ocean, drinking cocktails, dancing. We had a lot of fun in Brazil! We swam in the ocean, drank cocktails, danced.

Two-part sentences , in turn, are divided into complete and incomplete. Complete sentence (complete sentence) - a two-part sentence in which there is both a subject and a predicate.

• The baby was smiling to us. The child smiled at us.
• We've bought a lot of candies for you. We bought you a lot of sweets.
• There was a big party at Caroline's place. Caroline had a big party.

Incomplete sentence Such sentences are often found in colloquial speech, dialogues.