Employ Conventional Sentence Structure

Use a Variety of Sentence Patterns

A well-written passage will employ a variety of sentence structures. Recognizing different types of sentences and learning to use them is a valuable skill for any writer. The most common types of sentence structures are shown below.

A simple sentence contains a subject and verb in a single independent clause.

Simple Sentence:

The concert kept my attention throughout the evening.

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a conjunction. The punctuation preceding the conjunction may be a comma or a semicolon.

Compound sentence:

The music played was my favorite, and the orchestra was the largest in Florida.

A complex sentence contains an independent clause and a dependent clause.

Complex sentence (dependent clause last):

I had studied the symphony notes before I went to the concert.

Complex sentence (dependent clause first):

Even though I knew little classical music, I appreciated Bach’s compositions very much.