Language/English/Grammar/Sentense-Structure

2021-05-08T18:21:48Z

Jalagatdan: Happy mothers day mommy i feel so blessed to have you as my mom.and thank you for always being there for me.theres no way i could ever fully express my gratitude for all you've done for me.

<div style="font-size:300%;"> Simple sentences in English</div>Happy mothers day mommy i feel so blessed to have you as my mom.and thank you for always being there for me.theres no way i could ever fully express my gratitude for all you've done for me.

==Simple Sentence==
A simple sentence is a sentence that consists of just one independent clause. A simple sentence has no dependent clauses.
An independent clause (unlike a dependent clause) can stand alone as a sentence.

==Examples of Simple Sentences==
Below are examples of simple sentences with one subject and one verb. Simple sentences have one subject and one verb or predicate. Some of these have a direct object or a modifier, but they still only have one subject and one verb. If you need to brush up on these parts of speech, read up on Understanding Subjects, Predicates, and Objects.

The following examples show how this works:

*The cat stretched.

*Jacob stood on his tiptoes.

*The car turned the corner.

*Kelly twirled in circles.

*She opened the door.

*Aaron made a picture.

*I'm sorry.

*I danced.

==Examples With an Implied Subject==

Some simple sentences have a single subject and verb, but the subject isn't stated in the sentence. Instead, the reader knows who the subject is from context.

You'll notice that many of these short examples are imperative sentences with an implied subject of "you":

*Run!

*Open the jar carefully.

*Read the directions.

*Don't cry.

*Use common sense.

*Make the best of things.

*Catch up!

These sentences have just one independent clause. Refresh your memory about the difference between independent and dependent clauses if you need clarification.

==Compound Subject and One Verb==
You'll also see simple sentences with a compound subject and one verb. In this case, the subjects are joined by a conjunction like "and" and are all performing the action described in the verb.

There may be modifiers and direct objects here as well, as you'll see in some of these examples:

*Sarah and Ira drove to the store.

*Jenny and I opened all the gifts.

*The cat and dog ate.

*My parents and I went to a movie.

*Mrs. Juarez and Mr. Smith are dancing gracefully.

*Samantha, Elizabeth, and Joan are on the committee.

*The ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, and corn are gluten-free.

*The paper and pencil sat idle on the desk.

==One Subject and Compound Verb==
You'll also see some simple sentences with more than one verb and a single subject. In this case, they are compound verbs. The subject is doing all the actions, and the actions go together.

The easiest way to see this is with some examples:

*Misha walked and looked around.

*My mother hemmed and hawed over where to go for dinner.

*He was eating and talking.

*I rinsed and dried the dishes.

*Joe stood up and spoke to the crowd.

==Examples of Longer Simple Sentences==
Although a simple sentence can be a single word, it can also be much longer. Adding modifiers or multiple direct objects can extend the length of the sentence. These examples are all simple sentences, despite their length:

*The mangy, scrawny stray dog hurriedly gobbled down the grain-free, organic dog food.
*The scrawny stray dog hurriedly gobbled down the grain-free organic dog food.
*I quickly put on my red winter jacket, waterproof boots, homemade mittens, and hand-knit scarf.

*I quickly put on my red winter jacket, black snow pants, waterproof boots, homemade mittens, and handknit scarf.

*The incessant ticking and chiming echoed off the weathered walls of the clock repair shop.

*Nervously, I unfolded the wrinkled and stained letter from my long-dead ancestor.

*Into the suitcase, I carelessly threw a pair of ripped jeans, my favorite sweater from high school, an old pair of tube socks with stripes, and $20,000 in cash.

==Simple Sentence Examples From Literature==
Writers have been using simple sentences as long as people have been writing. Consider these examples from literature:

*"The Spirits of All Three shall strive within me." A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

*"I was the more deceived." Ophelia in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

*"Neither boy spoke." The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

*"Call me Ishmael." Moby Dick by Herman Melville

==Understand Sentence Structure==
Now that you know about simple sentences and have seen some examples, take a moment to learn about other sentence types like compound sentences and complex sentences. The more you know about how sentences are put together, the better your writing will become.

The Four Types of Sentence Structure

The simple sentence is one of four sentence structures, all of which are shown below.

===Simple Sentence===
A simple sentence has just one independent clause. For example:
You're only as good as your last haircut. (Author Fran Lebowitz)
A Complex Sentence. A complex sentence has an independent clause and at least one dependent clause. For example:
When you write a comic strip, the person on the left always speaks first. (Comedian George Carlin)
Read more about complex sentences.

===Compound Sentence===
A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. For example:
I used to jog, but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass. (Singer David Lee Roth)
Read more about compound sentences.

===Compound-Complex Sentence===
A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. For example:
I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph. (Actress Shirley Temple)
Why Should I Care about Simple Sentences?
Here is a good reason to care about simple sentences:
Be clear on when to use a comma before "and."
Being able to identify a simple sentence helps with comma placement. Writers are often unsure when to use a comma before words like "and," "or," and "but" (called conjunctions).

Let's look at some examples:

*Jack likes chicken and loves Nando's.
*Jack likes chicken but hates turkey.

These are both examples of simple sentences with compound predicates. In each example, there is one subject governing two verbs. Note that there is no comma before the "and" or the "but."

Compare the two examples above with these sentences:
*Jack likes chicken, and he loves Nando's.
*Jack likes chicken, but he hates turkey.

These look similar, but they are not simple sentences with compound predicates. There are two subjects ("Jack" and "he"), each governing its own verb. These are examples of compound sentences not simple sentences with compound predicates. Each sentence features two independent clauses, not one. Note that there is now a comma before the "and" and the "but."

==The Rule==

Use a comma before an "and" (or "but," "or," etc.) that joins two independent clauses (i.e., clauses that could stand alone as sentences).

Remember that with a compound predicate, the second half of the predicate cannot stand alone as a sentence because it doesn't have its own subject.

*Jack likes chicken and loves Nando's.
(In this example of a simple sentence, "loves Nando's" is not an independent clause. That's why there's no comma before "and.")
*Jack likes chicken, and he loves Nando's.
(In this example of a compound sentence, "he loves Nando's" is an independent clause. That's why there is a comma before "and.")

==Key Point==
When a simple sentence has compound predicate, don't separate the subject from its second verb with a comma.
*My dog likes toast, but does not eat bread.
*My dog likes toast but does not eat bread.

==Interactive Exercise==
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.
===Q1===
True or false? The following sentence is a simple sentence with a compound predicate.

"Jack walked up the hill but tumbled back down."
*A: True
*B: False

===Q2===
Select the correct version.
*A: Wolves and European brown bears developed a fear of humans too late, and became extinct in the British wilds and the forests and mountains of Europe.
*B: Wolves and European brown bears developed a fear of humans too late, and they became extinct in the British wilds and the forests and mountains of Europe.
===Q3===
Select the correct version.
*A: Wolves and European brown bears developed a fear of humans too late and became extinct in the British wilds and the forests and mountains of Europe.
*B: Wolves and European brown bears developed a fear of humans too late, and became extinct in the British wilds and the forests and mountains of Europe.

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Language/English/Grammar/Sentense-Structure