SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Simple sentences:

A simple sentence has only one clause:

• The children were laughing.
• John wanted a new bicycle.
• All the girls are learning English.

Compound sentences:

    ✻ A compound sentence has two or more clauses:

• (We stayed behind) and (finished the job)
• (We stayed behind) and (finished the job), then (we went home)

    ✻ The clauses in a compound sentence are joined by co-ordinating conjunctions:

• John shouted and everybody waved.
• We looked everywhere but we couldn’t find him.
• They are coming by car so they should be here soon.

   ✻ The common coordinating conjunctions are: and – but – or – nor – so – then – yet

Complex sentences:

   ✻ A complex sentence has a main clause and one or more adverbial clauses. Adverbial clauses usually come after the main clause:

• Her father died when she was very young
  • Her father died (main clause)
  • when (subordinating conjunction)
  • she was very young (adverbial clause) 
• She had a difficult childhood because her father died when she was very young.
  • She had a difficult childhood (main clause)
  • because (subordinating conjunction)
  • her father died (adverbial clause)
  • when (subordinating conjunction)
  • she was very young (adverbial clause). 

   ✻ Some subordinate clauses can come in front of the main clause:

• Although a few snakes are dangerous most of them are quite harmless
  • Although (subordinating conjunction)
  • some snakes are dangerous (adverbial clause)
  • most of them are harmless (main clause). 

   ✻ A sentence can contain both subordinate and coordinate clauses:

• Although she has always lived in France, she speaks fluent English because her mother was American and her father was Nigerian
  • Although (subordinating conjunction)
  • she has always lived in France (adverbial clause),
  • she speaks fluent English (main clause)
  • because (subordinating conjunction)
  • her mother was American (adverbial clause)
  • and (coordinating conjunction)
  • her father was Nigerian (adverbial clause). 

There are seven types of adverbial clauses:

Common conjunctions

   ✻  Contrast clauses: although; though; even though; while;
   ✻ Reason clauses: because; since; as
   ✻ Place clauses: where; wherever; everywhere
   ✻ Purpose clauses: so that; so; because + want
   ✻ Result clauses: so that; so … that; such … that
   ✻ Time clauses: when; before; after; since; while; as; as soon as; by the time; until
   ✻ Conditional clauses:  if; unless; provided (that); as long as