Mastering Sentence Structure: Types and Examples

Posted on Mar 10, 2025 in Linguistics and Applied Languages

Understanding Sentence Structure

A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought.

For example: Joe waited for the train. The train was late.

Compound Sentences

A compound sentence refers to a sentence made up of two independent clauses connected to one another with a coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are often remembered by the acronym FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

For example: Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.

Another example: Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, and they left on the bus before I arrived.

Complex Sentences

A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses connected to it. A dependent clause is similar to an independent clause, but it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

Dependent Clause First

The dependent clauses can go first in the sentence, followed by the independent clause, as in the following examples:

Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, I did not see them at the station.

While he waited at the train station, Joe realized that the train was late.

After they left on the bus, Mary and Samantha realized that Joe was waiting at the train station.

Independent Clause First

The independent clauses can go first in the sentence, followed by the dependent clause, as in the following examples:

I did not see them at the station because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon.

Joe realized that the train was late while he waited at the train station.

Mary and Samantha realized that Joe was waiting at the train station after they left on the bus.

Compound-Complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence is made from two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

For example: Although I like to go camping, I haven’t had the time to go lately, and I haven’t found anyone to go with.

Another example: When I grow up, I want to be a ballerina, and my mom is proud of me.

Noun Phrases

A noun phrase includes a noun—a person, place, or thing—and the modifiers which distinguish it.

Examples of articles: a dog, the dog

Examples of possessive nouns: Aunt Audrey’s dog, the neighbor’s dog, the police officer’s dog

Examples of possessive pronouns: our dog, her dog, their dog

Examples of adjectives: that dog, the big dog, the spotted dog

Examples of participles: the drooling dog, the barking dog, the well-trained dog

Modifiers that come after the noun might include prepositional phrases, adjective clauses, participle phrases, and/or infinitives.

Examples of prepositional phrases: a dog on the loose, the dog in the front seat, the dog behind the fence

Examples of adjective clauses: the dog that chases cats, the dog that looks lost, the dog that won the championship

Examples of participle phrases: the dog whining for a treat, the dog clipped at the grooming salon, the dog walked daily

Examples of infinitives: the dog to catch, the dog to train, the dog to adopt

Verb Phrases

A verb phrase is the portion of a sentence that contains both the verb and either a direct or indirect object (the verb’s dependents). Verbs are words that demonstrate an action, like sing, dance, smell, talk, and eat. They serve as a link between the subject of the verb and information about that subject. The information is usually descriptive.

Examples:

She was walking quickly to the mall.
He should wait before going swimming.
Those girls are not trying very hard.
Ted might eat the cake.
You must go right now.

Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases are groups of words containing prepositions. Remember that prepositions are words that indicate the relationships between various elements within a sentence.