APLC Sentence Types

Simple

• One subject, one verb

• Child-like quality; highlights certain things as important against a background of other things (when used after a string of longer sentences)

Compound

• More than one subject and/or verb

• balance; makes two ideas equal in importance

  
  

Complex

2+ independent and 1+ dependent

orders ideas into main and subordinate ideas: the main or most important idea is the independent (main) clause while the subordinate idea is the dependent (subordinate) clause

• independent is more important; why?

Compound complex

One independent and 1+ clauses

1. can use the periodic portion plateaus and the loose construction to unwind afterwards.  At other times, this sentence will pitch its emphasis in the direction of one clause or another

Loose

Details after the subject and the verb.

Effect: The reader knows the main action from the beginning; all the modifiers (description) serve to elaborate, also allowing the writer to mass attributes/ideas that seem to “sprout” from the main clause.

Periodic (climactic)

details before the subject and verb

1.  Builds up to a climax with meaning unfolding slowly