Sentence Structure / A1 / Compound Sentences

 Compound Sentences

In todays lesson we will look into compound and complex sentences and their structures in english.

So, before starting if you have not watched our first lesson about the simple sentences,  I highly recommend you to do so.

For the learners who are willing to continue to this lesson, lets go.

COMPOUND SENTENCES

While simple sentences consist of one clause with a subject and a verb, compound sentences combine at least two independent clauses that are joined together with a coordinating conjunction.

There’s a useful acronym to help students remember these coordinating conjunctions 

– FANBOYS.

For // And // Nor // But // Or // Yet // So

ome of these conjunctions will be more frequently used than others, with the most commonly used being and, but, or, and so.

Whichever of the conjunctions you are choosing to use, it will connect the two halves of the compound sentence – each of which could stand alone as a complete sentence.

Compound sentences are an important way of bringing variety and rhythm to a piece of writing. The decision to join two sentences together into one longer compound sentence is made due to the fact that there is a strong relationship between the two, but it is important to remind you that they need not necessarily be joined as they can remain as separate sentences.

The decision to join or not is often a stylistic one.

For example, the two simple sentences:

1. She ran to the school.

2. The school was closed.

Can be easily joined together with a coordinating conjunction that reveals an important relationship between the two:

She ran to the school, but the school was closed.

While working on compound sentences, a convenient opportunity arises to introduce a correct usage of the semicolon. Often, where two clauses are joined with a conjunction, that conjunction can be replaced with a semicolon when the two parts of the sentence are related, for example:

She ran to the school; the school was closed.

While you may not wish to muddy the waters by introducing the semicolon while dealing with compound sentences, more advanced learners may benefit from making the link here.

A good way for you to practice forming compound sentences is to provide them with copies of simple books from early on in a reading scheme. Books for emergent readers are often written in simple sentences that form repetitive patterns that help children internalize various patterns of language.

Challenge yourself to rewrite some of these texts using compound sentences where appropriate. This will provide valuable practice at spotting such opportunities in their own writing, as well as experience in selecting the appropriate conjunction.

COMPLEX SENTENCES 

There are various ways to construct complex sentences, but essentially any complex sentence will contain at least one independent and one dependent clause. However, these clauses are not joined by coordinating conjunctions. Instead, subordinating conjunctions are used.

Here are some examples of subordinating conjunctions:

Subordinating conjunctions join dependent and independent clauses together. They provide a transition between the two ideas in the sentence. This transition will involve a time, place, or a cause and effect relationship. The more important idea is contained in the sentence’s main clause, while the less important idea is introduced by the subordinating conjunction.

For example:

Although Catherine ran to school, she didn’t get there in time.

We can see that the first part of this complex sentence (in bold) is a dependent clause that cannot stand alone. This fragment begins with the subordinating conjunction ‘although’ which joins it to, and expresses the relationship with, the independent clause which follows.

When complex sentences are organized this way (with the dependent clause first), you’ll note the comma separates the dependent clause from the independent clause. If the structure is reorganized to place the independent clause first, with the dependent clause following, then there is no need for this comma.

For example:

You will not do well if you refuse to study.

Complex sentences can be great tools for you to not only bring variety to your writing, but to explore compex ideas, set up comparisons and contrasts, and convey cause and effect.

COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES

Compound-complex sentences are, not surprisingly, the most difficult for us to write well. If, however, you have put the work in to gain a firm grasp of the preceding 3 sentence types, then you should manage these competently with a little practice.

Prior to teaching compound-complex sentences, it’ll be worth asking yourself if youy can make an educated guess at a definition of this type of sentence based on its title alone.

The more astute among learners may well be able to work out that a compound-complex sentence refers to joining a compound sentence with a complex one. More accurately, a compound-complex sentence combines at least 2 independent clauses and 1 dependent clause.

Since the school was closed, Sarah ran home and her mum made her some breakfast.

We can see here the sentence begins with a dependent clause followed by a compound sentence. We can also see a complex sentence nestled in there if we look at just the bracketed content in the version below.

(Since the school was closed, Sarah ran home) and her mum made her some breakfast.

As complex sentences go, this is a fairly straightforward example, but they can come in lots of guises, containing lots more information while still conforming to the compound-complex structure.

For example:

Because most visitors to the city regularly miss out on the great bargains available here, local companies endeavor to attract tourists to their businesses and to help them understand how to access the best deals the capital has to offer.

There is a lot going on in this sentence, but on closer examination, it follows the same structure as the previous one. That is, it opens with a dependent clause (that starts with subordinating conjunction) and is then followed by a compound sentence.

With practice, your students will soon be able to quickly identify these more sophisticated types of sentence and also produce their own examples too.

Compound-complex sentences can bring variety to a piece of writing and can help to articulate complex things. However, it is important to encourage students to pay particular attention to the placement of commas in these sentences to ensure readers do not get confused. Encourage students to proofread all their writing, but especially when writing longer, more structurally sophisticated sentences such as these.

Now, before we finish our lesson, we should also talk about a sentence fragment.

As you will see it is not a big deal but as important as previous subjects to mention about.

A sentence fragment is a collection of words that looks similar to a sentence, but actually isn’t a complete sentence. Sentence fragments usually lack a subject or verb, or don’t express a complete thought. Whilst a fragmented sentence can be punctuated to appear similar to a complete sentence it is no substitute for a sentence.

Sentence fragment features:

These are the distinguishing features of a sentence fragment:

It lacks a subject

Example: Jumped further than a Kangaroo. (Who jumped?)

It lacks a verb or has the wrong verb form

Example: My favorite math teacher.  (What did the teacher do or say?)

It is a residual phrase

Example: For better or worse.  (What is better or worse? What is it modifying?)

It is an abandoned clause

Example: When my mother married my father.  (What happened when “my mother married my father?”)

It is an improper use of “such as, for example, especially,” etc.

Example: Such as, my brother was practicing martial arts.  (It is unclear; did something happen when my brother was practicing martial arts?)

The methods for correcting a sentence fragment are varied but essentially it will boil down to three options. Either to attach it to a nearby sentence, revise and add the missing elements or rewrite the entire passage or fragment until they are operating in sync with each other.