W8D1 Grammar
Sentence variety adds interest to your writing, and some kinds of sentences require a comma.
Let’s look at the different kinds of sentences.
| Simple Sentences (independent clause) |
- A simple sentence contains at least one subject and one predicate
- Jayden brought his basketball to recess.
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| Simple Sentences with a Compound Subject |
- A simple sentence may have more than one subject.
- The chicks and the mother hen searched the barnyard for bugs.
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| Simple Sentence with a Compound Predicate |
- A simple sentence may have more than one predicate.
- The chick scratched and pecked at a worm.
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| Compound Sentence (two independent clauses) |
- A compound sentence contains two independent clauses (simple sentence) joined by a coordinating conjunction and uses a comma.
- The mother bird sat on the nest, and the baby birds chirped for food.
- Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS)
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
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| Complex Sentence |
- A complex sentence contains an independent clause (simple sentence) and a dependent clause (a group of words that is not a complete thought and can’t stand alone) linked by a subordinating conjunction. A subordinating conjunction is a word that links an independent clause and a dependent clause.
- Because we missed our bus, we were late to school. *Because is the subordinating conjunction.
- We were late to school because we missed the bus. *Because is the subordinating conjunction.
- Notice a comma is needed if the dependent clause comes FIRST in a complex sentence. A comma is NOT needed if the dependent clause comes at the end of a complex sentence.
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Let's Practice
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