Sentence Structure

Independent clauses are phrases that can stand alone. They form a complete thought.

• ​EXAMPLE: I watched the movie.

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Dependent clauses are phrases that do NOT form a complete thought.

• ​EXAMPLE: After I watched the movie...

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Simple sentences contain ONE independent clause. They are basic sentences that contain a subject and a predicate.

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​Examples

• ​Amanda went to the store.

• ​My brother and I played video games.

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​*SUBJECT. *PREDICATE.

Compound sentences contain TWO simple sentences (independent clauses) joined with a comma and a conjunction.

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​Examples

• ​Amanda went to the store, but she forgot to get bread.

• ​My brother and I like playing video games, and we like to play basketball.

• ​We can go to the movies, or we can go bowling.

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Complex sentences contain ONE independent clause and ONE dependent clause. Dependent clauses begin with a "marker word" such as although, since, or while.

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​Examples

• ​Although I studied all night, I did not do well on my test.

• ​​​I did not do well on my test although I studied all night.