Sentence Structure

Sentence Structure

​Colvin 6-8

Sentence structure refers to how sentences are put together. Sentence structure affects how our writing is understood.

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​What is Sentence Structure?

Parts of a Sentence

Complete sentences must always have a subject and verb. They frequently have an object.

• Subject: who or what the sentence is about

• Verb: action word; shows what the subject is doing

• Object: who or what receives the action

Example: "Pat ate the apples."

• Subject = Pat; Verb=ate; Object=the apples

Multiple Choice

Identify the subject in this sentence: "James coaches the school's basketball team."

• James

• the school

• the school's basketball team

• coaches

Multiple Choice

Identify the object: "Kelsey ate the leftovers."

• Kelsey

• ate

• the leftovers

Does NOT form a complete thought

• EX: "Jacob said."

Dependent

Forms a complete thought

• EX: "John walked home."

Independent

Clauses: Independent & Dependent

​Clauses are groups of words with a subject and verb.

Types of Sentences

There are four types of sentence structure

1. Simple Sentences: one independent clause

2. Compound sentences: two independent clauses

3. Complex sentences: one independent clause + one or more dependent clauses

4. Compound-complex sentences: two or more independent clauses + one or more dependent clauses

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is this: "Maria has a cat."

• compound

• simple

• complex

• compound complex

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is this:

"Ronnie hates apples but he loves to drink apple juice."

• compound

• simple

• complex

• compound complex

Simple & Compound Examples

Simple Sentences only have one independent clause:

• "Rosa woke up."

• "Tim brought pizza."

Compound Sentences have two independent clauses:

• "Maurice went grocery shopping and he cooked dinner."

• "Jocelyn wanted a nap because she had a headache."

Complex & Compound-Complex Examples

Complex sentences have an independent clause and one or more dependents:

• "Although Catherine ran to school, she didn’t get there in time."

• "You will not do well if you refuse to study."

Compound-complex sentences have two or more independents and one or more dependent:

• Since the school was closed, Sarah ran home and her mum made her some breakfast.

Multiple Choice

Identify the dependent clause in this complex sentence: "Although it was late, Megan drove to her mother's house."

• although it was late

• Megan drove

• Megan drove to her mother's house

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is this: "Because the property tax rate is lower, some people choose to buy homes in Alabama."

• compound

• simple

• complex

• compound-complex

Fragments

Anytime a group of words doesn't express a complete thought, it's a fragment

Sentence Fragments typically:

• lack a subject

• lack a verb

• are residual phrases or idioms (like, "for better or worse")

There are different kinds of sentence structures. Look at this image to help you.

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Remember:

Drag and Drop

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Placeholder

is how a sentence is ​

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. It is important because it ​

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how sentences are ​

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.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Sentence structure

organized

impacts

understood

That's it. Make sure you apply this to your writing.

Match

​ Cori loves dogs.

• Cori
• loves
• dogs

subject

verb

object

• subject

• verb

• object

Match

Although he missed the bus, Carson made it to class on time.

• missed

• Carson

• the bus

• made it

• class

verb

subject

object

verb

object

• verb

• subject

• object

• verb

• object

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is this: "Although he missed the bus, Carson made it to class on time."

• compound

• simple

• complex

• compound-complex