1.2 Sentence Structure

Sentences can be classified by the clauses they contain. A clause is a part of a sentence containing a subject and a predicate. There are 4 sentence types:

• Simple: A simple sentence has only one clause, also called an independent clause (ic).
  
  
  
  
  
  Subject+predicate sentences like Boys(s) kiss you(p) or I(s) want to burn this place down(p), are examples of simple sentences.
• Compound: A compound sentence has two or more clauses, and these are joined by  co-ordinating conjunctions (cc). The most common co-ordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, and then. There's a very easy way to construct these sentences, just use the following formula:
  ic, cc ic.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Complex: Contains an independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses (dc). A dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjuction (sc). These are: after, although, before, if, since, that, until, when, while, where, once, so, as soon as, provided that and because, to name a few. A sentence can contain both subordinate and coordinate clauses. There are two ways to form complex sentences:
  
  a) ic sc dc - They ignore you until you insist on a declaration of hate.
   
  
  
  
  
  She acts like she's twenty-five because she uses tampons.
  
  
  
  My mother thinks you were responsible because you were the only person who visited me in the hospital.
  
  
  
  
  
  b) sc dc ic - If you don't like what they're saying, change the conversation.  
  
  
  
  Now that i can finally understand you, i am less impressed with what you have to say.
  
  
  
  When you wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what you forgot, don't call me.
  
  
  
• Compound-complex: Contains 3 or more clauses, of which at least two are independent and one is dependent (dc). There are two ways to form a compound-complex sentence:
  
  a) sc dc, ic, cc ic - If that is a veiled criticism about me, I won't hear it and I won't respond to it.
  
  
  
  
  Because i want love, and i'd rather die hoping that happes than make some arrangement.
  
                               
  
  
  
  b) ic, cc ic sc dc - People tell you who they are but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be.
  
                          
  
  
  Innocent people get hurt, and other people, people who are not good, get to walk around doing whatever they want.