Structural Classification of the English Sentences

There are six (6) types sentences based on structural classification. These are:

1. Simple Sentence
2. Complex Sentence
3. Compound Sentence
4. Compound-Complex Sentence
5. Multiple Sentence
6. Multiple-Complex Sentence.

Let us discuss them one after the other:

Simple Sentence
A simple sentence is one which has one main or independent clause. We also
know this clause by the name alpha clause. It is main, independent or alpha
because it can stand on its own, unlike the subordinate clause. See The English
Simple Sentence. The structure or the composition of the simple sentence
comprises the subject, the predicator, the complement and the adjunct. But the
only obligatory element here is the predicator. See a detailed discussion on
the syntactic elements of the clause structure. Let us see some examples
of the simple sentence:

 This is my food.
 I love you so much.
 He has gone home
 Pat bought a book this morning.
 The hardworking farmer reaped a bumper harvest last year.

It is important to note that we do not determine whether a sentence is simple by

how long or short it is. A sentence could be short and not be a simple sentence
while another may be very long and still be a simple sentence. See these
examples:

 He left and disappeared for good.

This sentence is NOT a simple sentence though it contains only six words. See
the next sentence that is very long, yet qualifies as a simple sentence:
 Despite the big plate of rice with chicken and assorted meats, the boys still
complained of serious hunger.
 The long-awaited massive Airbus from the United States of America finally
landed at the London Heathrow airport amidst pomp and pageantry with the
crowds full of joy at yet another landmark and historic event in the history of
mankind.

The first sentence has eighteen (18) words while the second sentence has a
stunning forty (40) words, yet both of them are simple sentences. The point?
Never determine a simple sentence by length, you will certainly be wrong. Let us
see the next type of sentence under structural classification… You can check out
more examples of Simple Sentences and a post dedicated fully to Simple
Sentence: Definition with Examples.

Complex Sentence
A complex sentence has one main, independent or alpha clause and one or
more subordinate, dependent or beta clauses. The absence of a subordinate
clause will make the sentence a simple one. The beta clause could be as many
as possible, depending on what is grammatically acceptable, but one main clause
must be present to make the sentence qualify for a complex sentence. The
subordinate clause in a complex sentence is usually introduced by a subordinator
or a subordinate conjunction. We usually refer to these subordinators as
‘binders’ because they bind the subordinate clause to the main clause. Let us see
some examples:

 The boy failed the test because he did not work hard
 He locked the gate before beating the stubborn goats
 Even though the farmer worked hard the harvest was rather poor.
 Despite reading all night, the girl failed the test.
 If he had not run all the way home, he would have been caught in the rain.

I have dedicated a post to Complex Sentence in English; do check it out. You

can also see Complex Sentence for Kids with Examples.

Compound Sentence
The next type of sentence, based on structural classification, is the compound
sentence. A compound sentence is a sentence with two main, alpha or
independent clauses with no subordinate clause. That is, two clauses make up
a compound sentence and the two of them are main clauses as we have in the
following examples:

 The boy won the game but he was not given the prize.
 The food was badly cooked yet the starving boys ate it with relish.
 The farmer worked very hard and reaped a bumper harvest.
 My uncle asked if he should pay for my tuition or clear my accommodation bill.
 He returned from work and immediately went to bed.

Note that each clause in a compound sentence can stand on its own as a
complete sentence because each clause is actually a simple sentence joined by
a conjunction. We refer to the items used to link the clauses in a compound
sentence as coordinating conjunctions. These are: but, and, or. Some add
‘yet’ to the list but it is a ‘marginal conjunction’. We can also refer to the linking
items as ‘linkers’ because they link items of equal grammatical weight or status;
word and word, group and group, clause and clause then sentence and
sentence. See 100 Examples of Compound Sentences in English. You
might also want to see Compound Sentences with Semicolon. Sometimes
there are Compound Sentences with Yet; do check them out. You can also
see Compound Sentence for Kidsto help them learn what a Compound
Sentence is. There is a post dedicated wholly to Compound Sentence; check
its definition with examples.

Compound-Complex Sentence
A sentence that is compound-complex is a sentence that has two main, alpha
or independent clausesand one or more subordinate, beta or dependent
clauses. In this type of sentence, one would find both a coordinator (linker) and
a subordinator (binder) present. The linker joins the two alpha clauses while the
binder(s) joins one of the alpha clauses with a subordinate clause. The
following examples depict compound-complex structures:

 Jane gave the class a test and marked the test papers before writing the
correction on the board
 The tenants refused to pay the house rent and gave the landlord a beating
before the police arrived
 The resident doctors went on strike and refused to treat patients because the
government refused to pay their allowances.
 Students prefer to buy phones and acquire other electronic gadgets with their
money rather than buy textbooks.
 He washed his clothes and ironed them before he slept.

In Clauses, you learned that there are two types of clauses: independent and dependent. Recall that
independent clauses are complete sentences because they have a subject and verb and express a
complete thought. Dependent clauses, in contrast, cannot stand alone because they do not express a
complete thought—even though they have a subject and a verb. Independent and dependent clauses can
be used in a number of ways to form the four basic types of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and
compound-complex. Time to make their acquaintance.

A simple sentence has one independent clause. That means it has one subject and one verb—although
either or both can be compound. In addition, a simple sentence can have adjectives and adverbs. What a
simple sentence can't have is another independent clause or any subordinate clauses. For example:

 Americans eat more bananas than they eat any other fruit.

 one subject, one verb

 David Letterman and Jay Leno host talk shows.

 compound subject, one verb

 My son toasts and butters his bagel.

 one subject, compound verb

Don't shun the simple sentence—it's no simpleton. The simple sentence served Ernest Hemingway well;
with its help, macho man Ernie snagged a Nobel Prize in Literature. In the following excerpt from The Sun
Also Rises, Hemingway uses the simple sentence to convey powerful emotions:

 The driver started up the street. I settled back. Brett moved close to me. We sat close against each other.
I put my arm around her and she rested against me comfortably. It was very hot and bright, and the
houses looked sharply white. We turned out onto the Gran Via.
 “Oh, Jake,” Brett said, “we could have had such a damned good time together.”
 Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly
pressing Brett against me.
 “Yes,” I said. “Isn't it pretty to think so?”

Okay, so it's a real downer. You think they give Nobels for happy talk?

A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses. The independent clauses can be
joined in one of two ways:

 With a coordinating conjunction: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

 With a semicolon (;)

As with a simple sentence, a compound sentence can't have any subordinate clauses. Here are some
compound sentences for your reading pleasure.
Independent Clause Conjunction or SemicolonIndependent Clause

Men are mammals and women are femammals.

Mushrooms grow in damp places so they look like umbrellas.

The largest mammals are found in the sea; there's nowhere else to put them.

You might also add a conjunctive adverb to this construction, as in this example: The largest mammals
are found in the sea; after all, there's nowhere else to put them.

Complex Sentences: Not So Complex at All

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. The
independent clause is called the “main clause.” These sentences use subordinating conjunctions to link
ideas. As you check out these examples, see if you can find the subordinating conjunctions.

 Parallel lines never meet (independent clause) until (subordinating conjunction) you bend one of
them (dependent clause).
 Many dead animals of the past changed to oil (independent clause) while (subordinating
conjunction) others preferred to be gas (dependent clause).
 Even though (subordinating conjunction) the sun is a star (dependent clause), it knows how to
change back to the sun in the daytime (independent clause).

The subordinating conjunctions are until, while, and even though.

Compound-Complex Sentences: The Big Kahuna

A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
The dependent clause can be part of the independent clause. For instance:
 When the heat comes, the lakes dry up,

 dependent clause independent clause

 
and farmers know the crops will fail.

 independent clause 

 I planned to drive to work, but I couldn't

 independent clause independent clause

 
until the mechanic repaired my car.

 dependent clause