Kinds of Sentences and Clauses Flashcards

Flashcards to help identify kinds of sentences and clauses.

What are the two kinds of clauses?

Independent (main) and Dependent (subordinate) clauses

What is an independent clause?

A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone and make sense; expresses a complete thought.

What is an example of an independent clause?

She plays the bass guitar.

What is a dependent clause?

A group of words with a subject and a verb that depends on a main clause to give it meaning.

What is an example of a dependent clause?

Since John came home.

What often begins a relative clause?

A relative pronoun (that, which, who, when, what, where, etc.)

What are the four kinds of basic sentences in English?

Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex

What is another name for a simple sentence?

Independent clause

What two things can a simple sentence have?

Two subjects or two verbs

How are independent clauses joined in a compound sentence?

By a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) or a semicolon (;)

What are the FANBOYS coordinating conjunctions?

For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

What does a complex sentence contain?

One independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses

What begins a dependent clause in a complex sentence?

A subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun

What should be used if a complex sentence starts with a subordinating conjunction?

A comma at the end of the dependent clause

What does a compound-complex sentence consist of?

One or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses

What is included in a compound-complex sentence?

A FANBOYS connector and a complex connector (since, when, that, etc.)

Examples of subordinating conjunctions

After, although, as, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order that, since, so that, that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, while