ELA Benchmark #3 Review (1)

Types of Sentences

1. Independent Clause

   • Definition: A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.

   • Example: My classmates were wearing heavy clothes in winter months.

2. Simple Sentence

   • Definition: A sentence with one subject and one predicate.

   • Examples:

     • We graduated.

     • You need wood, a hammer, a saw, and a lot of nails to build a treehouse.

     • The vacation to Myrtle Beach should be extremely restful.

     • His left arm was badly broken at the wrist during the car accident.

3. Compound Sentence

   • Definition: A sentence that combines two independent clauses using a comma and a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

   • Examples:

     • We have never been to Asia, nor have we visited Africa.

     • Cats are good pets, for they are clean and not noisy.

     • He loved to fish, and she hated seafood.

     • Those clouds promise snow; we might get another snow day off from school.

4. Complex Sentence

   • Definition: A sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

   • Examples:

     • Although we chose a combination pizza, my favorite is still pepperoni.

     • If you want a good meal, try the Chinese restaurant that just opened.

     • As the match flared, I saw Du Hai sitting in rapt attention.

     • Because they were late, Gina and Ryan burst through the doors to their seats.

     • After our trip to the beach, I was excited to see my friends.

5. Compound-Complex Sentence

   • Definition: A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

   • Examples:

     • While I was doing my homework, my father cooked dinner, and my mother was asleep in front of the television.

     • We won the game, but my uniform was muddy because it rained the entire time.

     • Now that you have discovered my secret, I must capture you; then I will paint you blue.

Other Concepts

• Dependent Clause: A phrase that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence, often begins with a subordinating conjunction (A, W, U, B, I, S).

• Subordinating Conjunctions Examples: when, while, although, because, since, until.

• Predicate (Verb): Tells what the subject is or does (the action).

• Subject: Tells who or what the sentence is about.

Sentence Structure Summary

• An independent clause is essentially a simple sentence.

• A complex sentence must have one dependent clause and one independent clause.

• Each part of a compound sentence must be able to stand alone.