Simple and Compound Sentences

A simple sentence must form a complete thought. What else do you need to make a simple sentence?

• a subject, a comma and a conjunction

• a subject, a verb and a capital letter for the beginning

• a subject, a verb, a capital letter for the beginning and punctuation mark for the end

• a verb and a conjunction

What do we call an action word like “run”?

• a comma

• a subject

• a conjunction

• a verb

Read the sentence below. What is the subject of the sentence?

Sammy skated to the park.

• Sammy

• skated

• skated to the park

• Sammy skated

Which of these is a simple sentence?

• I voted for the class president.

• All the music.

• in the forest.

• Went to the big game yesterday.

Read the group of words below. What would you have to add to it to make it a simple sentence?

got a pet turtle.

• a comma

• a subject

• a verb

• a punctuation mark at the end

What do you use to join two simple sentences to make a compound sentence?

• only a comma

• only a conjunction

• a comma and a conjunction

• an exclamation point

Read the compound sentence below. What is the conjunction?

Penguins can’t fly, but they can walk on the ground.

• penguins

• fly

• walk

• but

Which of these is a compound sentence?

• The Johnsons moved in next door.

• Don’t cheat on your test.

• Molly, Keisha and Ben had a lemonade sale.

• I liked visiting New York, but I don’t want to live there.

Read the two simple sentences below. Choose the compound sentence that joins them with the right punctuation.

She’ll learn to play the piano. She’ll learn to play the trumpet.

• She’ll learn to play the piano, she’ll learn to play the trumpet.

• She’ll learn to play the piano, or she’ll learn to play the trumpet.

• She’ll learn to play the piano she’ll learn to play the trumpet.

• She’ll learn to play the piano or she’ll learn to play the trumpet.

Read the group of words below. How could you change it to make it a compound sentence?

It’s cold in the winter, it’s hot in the summer.

• add a comma after “cold”

• take out the comma after “winter”

• add the word “and” after the comma

• add the word “months” after summer