Sentence structures

As your students progress, you’ll be able to start stringing their vocabulary and knowledge of tenses together into increasingly complex sentences.

This is where students really learn how to communicate in a meaningful way. They’ll be able to express themselves and their thoughts more clearly, and will also begin to understand more meaning when listening to others.

There are four basic types of sentence that are essential for students to grasp:

Simple

Compound

Complex

Compound-complex

Simple Sentences

A simple sentence consists of one independent clause. This means it has a subject and a predicate and makes complete sense on its own.

Examples:

  • John jumped high.
  • I like apples.

Simple sentences are typically the first sentence structure taught to students, especially when they have limited vocabulary and grammar understanding. When teaching simple sentences, it’s important to help students grasp the correct word order. A common starting structure is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), for example:

  • “I like apples/oranges/bananas.”

Compound Sentences

A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction. Each clause has its own subject and predicate.

Examples:

  • The girl played, but the boy stayed inside.
  • The girl ran, and the boy jumped.

Compound sentences require students to understand simple sentences well and have a decent vocabulary range. Before teaching compound sentences, ensure students know conjunctions like and, but, or, and so.

A fun way to practice is to have students write simple sentences on slips of paper. Then, pairs or small groups combine these into compound sentences using conjunctions. This interactive activity helps reinforce the structure.

Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent (or subordinate) clause.

Example:

  • When you’re tired, take a rest.

Key points to remember:

  • The dependent clause can come before or after the independent clause.
  • A comma is used if the dependent clause comes first, but it’s usually omitted if the dependent clause comes after.
    • The girl ate an apple when she got home.
    • When she got home, the girl ate an apple.

Complex sentences always contain a subordinate conjunction, which links the dependent clause to the independent clause and often shows time, place, cause, or contrast relationships. The placement of the conjunction can affect which clause is emphasized.

  • When he fell over, everyone laughed.
  • Everyone laughed when he fell over.

Complex sentences can be challenging for learners because they contain additional information and change in form. Teaching suggestions include ensuring students understand simple and compound sentences well and know subordinate conjunctions such as “where,” “before,” “once,” “than,” “after,” “until,” and “though.”

Compound-Complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence combines features of both compound and complex sentences. It includes at least two independent clauses joined by conjunctions, plus at least one dependent clause.

Example:

  • The girl ate an apple and the boy played when they got home.

To practice compound-complex sentences, students need a strong vocabulary and a good grasp of simple, compound, and complex sentence structures. Writing small stories is an effective way for advanced learners to practice these sentences creatively.

You’re a smart Banana! *sticks gold star on your forehead*

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