©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Sentence Skills: A Workbook for Sentence Skills: A Workbook for Writers, Form AWriters, Form A

John LanganJohn Langan

Sentence Variety ISentence Variety I

©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.Sentence Skills, Form A, 7E

Sentence Variety I

Sentence VarietySentence VarietyThere are, in fact, four different kinds of sentences. A good writer will vary the kinds of sentences he or she uses in an essay. This prevents their writing from seeming boring and redundant, and it keeps the reader interested. Hence, it is important to learn the four types of sentences, and to understand how to use them.

©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.Sentence Skills, Form A, 7E

Sentence Variety I

Simple SentenceSimple Sentence

• A simple sentence has a single subject-verb combination.

For example:For example:

JoeJoe runsruns..

The The dogdog ateate my homework. my homework.

• A simple sentence can have more than one subject, more than one verb, or several subjects and verbs.

©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.Sentence Skills, Form A, 7E

Sentence Variety I

Compound SentenceCompound Sentence• A compound sentence is made up of two or more

simple sentences. Usually, the two complete statements are connected by a comma and a joining wordjoining word.

For example:For example:

The The dogdog ateate my homework, my homework, so so II amam in in trouble.trouble.

Jo-JoJo-Jo waswas in Tuscon, in Tuscon, and and Loretta Loretta waswas in San Diego.in San Diego.

©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.Sentence Skills, Form A, 7E

Sentence Variety I

Complex SentenceComplex Sentence• A complex sentence is made of a complete

simple sentence and a statement that begins with a dependent dependent word (such as: although, before, although, before, that, which.)that, which.)

For example:For example:

The The dogdog ateate my homework, my homework, althoughalthough I told him not to.I told him not to.

Jo-JoJo-Jo waswas in Tuscon, in Tuscon, which which is very is very strange. strange.

©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.Sentence Skills, Form A, 7E

Sentence Variety I

Compound-Complex SentenceCompound-Complex Sentence• A compound-complex sentence is made up of

two (or more) simple sentencessimple sentences and at least one dependent statementdependent statement.

For example:For example:

Before my dog arrivedBefore my dog arrived, , I always I always handed in my homework, and I handed in my homework, and I always got perfect grades.always got perfect grades.

Unless you come over here, Unless you come over here, Jo-Jo will go Jo-Jo will go back back

to Tuscon, and Loretta will start to to Tuscon, and Loretta will start to cry.cry.