Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences

A simple sentence contains a subject and a predicate. It expresses a single, complete thought.

Example:

• The baby cried for food

Subject: Baby; Predicate: Cried.

A simple sentence doesn't necessarily have to be short:

• Bob and Mary left the polluted, congested, city for a life in the beautiful countryside.

A compound sentence has two independent clauses/simple sentences joined together using a comma and a conjunction (for, but, and, but, or, yet, so).

• The baby cried for food, so his mother fed him.

• The shoplifter had stolen clothes, so he ran once he saw the police

• They spoke to him in Spanish, but he responded in English.

A complex sentence has one or more dependent clauses (after we left, etc.) Most dependent clauses start with the following words: as, because, since, after, although, when.

• After eating lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, Tim went to the gym to exercise.

• Since I knew it was going to rain, I made sure that I brought an umbrella.

A compound-complex sentence has two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause

• After a long hike, George took a nap, and Fred relaxed while drinking a tall glass of water.