Sentences and Clauses: Types of Sentence Structure

Simple Sentence

A simple sentence consists of a single independent clause. For example:

I am an author.

In this sentence, there is a single subject and a single verb. However, a simple sentence may contain a compound subject or compound verb. For example:

You and I write and read books.

In this sentence, the subject is made up of both you and I, and there are two verbs. However, because this is only one clause, this is only a simple sentence.

Compound Sentence

A compound sentence consists of at least two independent clauses that are joined together. For example:

I went to the store, but I didn’t purchase any items.

In this sentence, there are two clauses joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Compound sentences may also have compound subjects and verbs.

Complex Sentence

A complex sentence is a sentence that consists of one independent clause, and at least one subordinate clause. For example:

We went to the place that my friend told us about.

In this sentence, we went to the place is an independent clause, while that my friend told us about is a subordinate clause. A complex sentence may also have compound subjects and verbs.

Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence is a sentence that consists of at least two independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause. For example:

I went to the park with the playground and I had a picnic.

In this sentence, there are two independent clauses, and one subordinate clause. A compound-complex sentence may also have a compound subject or verb.