(TUL) Lesson Topic 1: The Sentence

Lesson Topic 1: The Sentence

Sentences Galore!

Every time you speak, read, or write, you are encountering conventions of the English language. Conventions in the English language include spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and paragraphing.

Throughout a regular day, you will come across clauses or sentences whether you are listening, speaking, reading, or writing. Now, you will have the ability to understand the differences among the clauses and sentences you use and hear. However, a difference appears between a sentence and a clause. A complete sentence begins with a capital letter, includes an end mark (period, question mark, or exclamation point), and contains a subject and verb that express a complete thought. On the other hand, a clause is a sentence part that contains a subject and a verb. A clause can be dependent (containing a subject and verb but not expressing a complete thought) or independent (containing a subject and verb and expressing a complete thought).

Let's Get Complete

Complete sentences, or independent clauses, must contain a subject and a verb. The subject is who or what does the verb, and the verb expresses the action of the subject. The verb appears in the predicate, which is the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb and stating something about the subject. Typcally, if you can find the subject, the rest of the sentence serves as the predicate.

A sentence is diagrammed. In the sentence "Sally writes her essay for class," "Sally" is the subject, and "writes her essay for class" is the predicate.

Sentence Types

An exclamation point Sentences can be viewed in two different ways. Sentences can be categorized based on what feeling or emotion they attempt to convey, or they can be categorized based on how many clauses appear in the sentence.

Sentences categorized by what they convey can be divided into declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences.

Declarative sentences form a statement. For example, "I walked to the store" represents a declarative sentence because the speaker is stating what he or she did.
Whereas a declarative sentence forms a statement, an interrogative sentence forms a question. An example of an interrogative sentence might be: "Where did you walk today?"
Imperative sentences can be easily confused with declarative sentences, so you must carefully read the emotion behind the sentence. An imperative sentence might read, "Go walk to the store." The example clearly reveals a command in the meaning behind the words.
Exclamatory sentences reveal a strong emotion or excitement and tend to end with exclamation points. For instance, "I walked to the store!" indicates excitement regarding the experience of walking to the store.

Sentences can also be divided by how many clauses they contain into simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, or compound-complex sentences. Remember that a clause can be independent (complete thought) or dependent (cannot stand alone).

Simple Sentences	Compound Sentences	Complex Sentences	Compound-Complex Sentences
Another name for an independent clause is a simple sentence. Simple sentences contain only a subject and a verb. Example: The dog sits. Notice how the simple sentence contains a subject and a verb—only one independent clause.	Compound sentences become a bit more difficult because they contain two independent clauses and are joined by a coordinating word such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so. Example: The dog sits, and his owner gives him a treat. Both parts of this sentence can stand alone: The dog sits (independent clause) His owner gives him a treat (independent clause) Because they can both stand alone, they are both independent clauses. Notice that they must have a connector of some type, so they do not form a run-on sentence.	Where simple and compound sentences focus on independent clauses, complex sentences add in the dependent clause. A complex sentence contains an independent clause joined by one or more independent clauses. Example: After the dog sits, his owner gives him a treat. After the dog sits (dependent) His owner gives him a treat (independent) The first part of the sentence now includes the word after and now creates a dependent clause. The sentence depends on the rest of the sentence for completion. Therefore, the independent clause hops onto the end of this sentence. So, complex sentences have a part that can stand alone and make a complete sentence and parts that do not have the ability to stand alone as a complete thought.	Finally, the most intense sentence type is the compound-complex sentence. A compound-complex sentence contains two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. Example: After the dog sits, he wags his tail, and his owner gives him a treat. After the dog sits (dependent clause) He wags his tail (independent clause) His owner gives him a treat (independent clause)

Simple Sentences

Compound Sentences

Complex Sentences

Compound-Complex Sentences

Another name for an independent clause is a simple sentence. Simple sentences contain only a subject and a verb.

Example: The dog sits.

Notice how the simple sentence contains a subject and a verb—only one independent clause.

Compound sentences become a bit more difficult because they contain two independent clauses and are joined by a coordinating word such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so.

Example: The dog sits, and his owner gives him a treat.

Both parts of this sentence can stand alone:

The dog sits (independent clause)
His owner gives him a treat (independent clause)

Because they can both stand alone, they are both independent clauses. Notice that they must have a connector of some type, so they do not form a run-on sentence.

Where simple and compound sentences focus on independent clauses, complex sentences add in the dependent clause. A complex sentence contains an independent clause joined by one or more independent clauses.

Example: After the dog sits, his owner gives him a treat.

After the dog sits (dependent)
His owner gives him a treat (independent)

The first part of the sentence now includes the word after and now creates a dependent clause. The sentence depends on the rest of the sentence for completion. Therefore, the independent clause hops onto the end of this sentence. So, complex sentences have a part that can stand alone and make a complete sentence and parts that do not have the ability to stand alone as a complete thought.

Finally, the most intense sentence type is the compound-complex sentence. A compound-complex sentence contains two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Example: After the dog sits, he wags his tail, and his owner gives him a treat.

After the dog sits (dependent clause)
He wags his tail (independent clause)
His owner gives him a treat (independent clause)

Practice identifying the sentence types with the assessment below.

Now, quiz your knowledge of sentence types.

Which type of sentence is identified in each question?

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