sentence style and structure

Topic

Sentence structure

A set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation or command and consisting of a main clause and one or more subordinate clause

Simple Compound Complex Compound-

Complex

SUBJECT PREDICATE

Ali plays tennis.

SUBJECT PREDICATE

. A simple sentence consist of one clause containing one noun/subject and one verb/predicate

If the simple sentence starts with the subject, followed directly by the verb, it has the great advantage of directness and energy

We went to park yesterday.

Observe how a simple sentence is constructed:

We went to park yesterday .

Pronoun Verb

Simple subject Complete predicate

Prepositional phrase

Ali plays tennis.

SUBJECT PREDICATE

one subject one predicate

play tennis.Tom and Mary

Compound Subject

&

play tennis and swim.Tom and Mary

Compound Subject Compound Predicate

& &

Ali and Maria play tennis.

Ali and Maria play tennis and swim.

A compound sentence has more

than one part that can stand alone

(independent clauses).

Independent clauses are connected

by coordinating conjunctions,

conjunctive adverbs or a semi-

colon.

We went to mosque, and

most of us recite Quran all night.

We went to mosque,

and most of us recite Quran all night .

Subject Verb

CoordinatingConjunction

Predicate

Verb

Prepositional phrase

Modifying phraseSubject

SUBJECT PREDICATE

SUBJECT PREDICATE

Ali swims,

Maria plays tennis.

and

FOR

AND

NOR

BUT

OR

YET

SO

Ali swims, and Maria plays tennis.

Clause 1 Clause 2

Independent Independent

Ali swims, and Maria plays tennis.

Comma before “and” in compound

sentences!

MOREOVER

HOWEVER

OTHERWISE

THEREFORE

Ali is handsome; moreover, he is rich.

Clause 1 Clause 2

Independent Independent

Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.

Bob is handsome; he is, moreover, rich.

Bob is handsome; he is rich, moreover.

“If the relation between the ideas expressed in the main clauses is very close and clear without a conjunction, you can separate the clauses with a semicolon” .

Tom has benefited from his exercise program; he is slim and energetic.

A complex sentence has at least

two parts: one that can stand alone

and another one that cannot

The part that cannot stand alone is

linked to the rest of the sentence

by a subordinating conjunction

Since my friend and I wanted to have fun,

we went to club yesterday.

Since we wanted to have fun,

we went to club yesterday.

PredicateSubject

SubordinatingConjunction

Part that cannot stand alone

SUBJECT PREDICATE

SUBJECT PREDICATE

even though

Bob is popular

he is ugly.

even though

The most common subordinating conjunctions are "after," "although," "as," "because," "before," "how,"

"if," "once," "since," "than," "that," though," "till," "until,"

"when," "where," "whether,” and while."

Bob is popular even though he is ugly.

Clause 1 Clause 2

Independent Dependent

Even though Bob is ugly, he is popular.

Clause 1 Clause 2

Dependent Independent

This type of sentence has more

than one part that can stand

alone, and at least one that

cannot.

Conjunctions link the different

parts of this sentence.

Compound-Complex Sentence

Since we wanted to have fun,

my friend and I went to club yesterday,

and we danced all night.

Since we wanted to have fun,

my friend and I went to club,

and we danced all night.

Subject Predicate

SubordinatingConjunction

CoordinatingConjunction

Part that cannot stand alone

Compound-Complex Sentence

Ali is popular

he is good looking,

because

he is not very happy.

but

To conclude we can say that sentence is a set of meaningful words which gives us the full expression. Sentence structure is the way a sentence is arranged grammatically. The sentence structure of your writing includes where the noun and verb fall within an individual sentence.