What kind of sentence has one main independent clause and one or more subordinate clause?

A clause is the part of a sentence that contains a subject and verb. There are two types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses.

1) Independent Clause:

A group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. Therefore, independent clauses can stand alone in the sentence. 

Example:

- I went to Oklahoma City. 

2) Dependent Clause:

A group of words that contains subject and verb; however, it does not express a complete thought. Therefore, dependent clauses cannot stand alone without other context. 

Example:

- When I went to Oklahoma City. 

The number of independent clauses and dependent clauses can also determine the sentence type as a simple, compound, complex, or a compound-complex sentence.

A. Simple Sentence:

A sentence that consists of one independent clause. A simple sentence can have one or multiple subjects; it can also have one or multiple verbs, but having multiple subjects or verbs does not mean having multiple clauses. 

Examples:

- I searched for the book. (One subject and one verb)  

- I went to the bookstore and bought the book. (One subject and two verbs)  

- My sister and I searched and bought the book. (Two subjects and two verbs)  

B. Compound Sentence:

A sentence that consists of two or more independent clauses. Independent clauses can be joined into a compound sentence using a coordinating conjunction such as for, and, or but. They also can be joined by a (;) semicolon. 

Examples:

- She cooks the meal today, and you will cook the meal tomorrow. (Two independent   clauses joined by “and” and a comma).  

- The boys saw the movie, the girls went shopping, but the parents stayed home. (Three independent clauses joined by “but” and a comma). 

- I listen to the song on the radio; my mother does not like the song. (Two independent   clauses joined by a semicolon).  

C. Complex Sentence:

A sentence that consists of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. These clauses can be joined into a complex sentence using a subordinating conjunction, such as which, because, before, after, if, since, until, and when, etc...

Examples: 

* The underlined words are the independent clause. 

- Because it is a rainy day, I bring my umbrella.  (One independent clause and one dependent clause). 

- After she sent the mail, she went to the shop, which is near her house. (One independent clause and two dependent clauses). 

D. Compound-Complex Sentence:

A sentence that consists of two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. These clauses can be joined into a compound-complex sentence using a subordinating conjunction, such as which, because, before, after, if, since, until, and when, etc... Moreover, they can be joined by a coordinating conjunction such as for, and, or but.

Example:

* The underlined words are the independent clause. 

- Because it is a nice weekend, he cleaned the backyard, and he prepared the barbecue. (Two independent clauses joined by “and” and a comma, and one dependent clause).  

A mix of independent and dependent clauses in your sentences can make your writing seem more advanced and colorful. Knowing how to properly use these clauses can bloom your writing to its full potential!

There are various types of sentences that we can use in our writing, helping to keep the reader interested and engaged. These different types of sentences vary based on their structures and the type and number of clauses they contain. This article will introduce the four main sentence types in English, explain how we form them, and provide plenty of examples.

Let's go...

Types of Sentences in English

There are four different types of sentences in the English language. They are:

• Simple sentences

• Compound sentences

• Complex sentences

• Compound-complex sentences

We can identify each sentence type by looking at the clauses. A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb; they are the building blocks of sentences. There are two major clause types in English: independent clauses and dependent clauses.

• An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence and expresses a complete thought (i.e. doesn't rely on any more explanation). It always contains a subject and a verb.e.g. 'the Blue Whale is the biggest animal in the world.'e.g. 'I don't like peanut butter.'

• A dependent clause (also called a 'subordinate clause') cannot stand alone in a sentence as it does not express a complete thought. It often gives us additional information about an independent clause. Dependent clauses must still contain a subject and a verb.e.g. 'when Sarah arrives.' e.g. 'the one in France.'

We now know that sentence types vary depending on the clauses, and we know what the two types of clauses are. So, let's look at how we identify each sentence type.

• Simple sentences - Contains an independent clause.

• Compound sentences - Two independent clauses joined together with a conjunction (joining word).

• Complex sentences - Contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

• Compound-complex sentences - Contains multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Now that we know the different types of sentences let's look at each one in more detail and provide some examples.

Simple sentences

As the name suggests, this sentence type is the most simplistic of the three. It is made up of just one independent clause. Simple sentences can also contain modifiers and an object, but these aren't necessary for the sentence to make sense.

Examples of simple sentences

Here are some examples of simple sentences:

• The train leaves at 5 am!
• I couldn't find Mary at the park.
• Josh loves skiing.

Remember that independent clauses always have a subject and a verb. We can see this in the previous sentences. For example, in the first sentence, 'train' is the subject, and 'leaves' is the verb.

Simple sentences are often used to communicate things clearly.The sentences do not need added information and make sense on their own.

Compound sentences

Compound sentences combine two or more independent clauses (main clauses), joining them with a comma and coordinating conjunction or a semicolon (;).

• Coordinating conjunction – a connecting word that joins two words, phrases, clauses, or sentences that hold equal importance. The seven coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, or, nor, yet, so, for.

Compound sentences do not contain dependent clauses (clauses that rely on the rest of the sentence). If the two (or more) independent clauses weren't joined together, they would still work independently as simple sentences. Each independent clause must contain its own subject and verb.

Let's break down a compound sentence, explaining all the aspects that make it a compound sentence.

I need to go to work,butI am too sick to drive.

The first independent clause is 'I need to go to work' - it contains a subject (I ) and two verbs (need and go).

The second independent clause is 'I am too sick to drive' - it contains a subject (I ) and a verb (drive).

The two clauses are joined together with a comma and the coordinating conjunction but. If the two clauses were separated into two sentences, they would still make sense. E.g. I need to go to work. I am too sick to drive.

Comma splices

A common grammar mistake many people make when forming compound sentences is the comma splice. A comma splice is when two independent clauses are joined together with only a comma - this is incorrect and should be avoided! For example, 'Spiders have eight legs, they are arachnids.' is a grammatically incorrect sentence. When joining two independent clauses, we must use a comma alongside a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. E.g. 'Spiders have eight legs; they are arachnids.'

Examples of compound sentences

Here are some examples of compound sentences:

• He ran out of money, so he couldn't buy any lunch.
• The garden is huge; it has two ponds.
• I need to get up early, yet I cannot fall asleep.

Complex sentences

Complex sentences are slightly different from the other two types of sentences as they include a dependent clause (also known as a subordinate clause) and an independent clause.

The dependent clause adds extra information about the independent clause and cannot stand on its own as a complete thought. However, the dependent clause must still contain a subject and a verb. The two clauses are joined together using subordinating conjunctionsor relative pronouns.

• Subordinating conjunction – a connecting word that links a dependent ('subordinate') clause to an independent clause e.g. although, because, rather than, even though, after, until.

• Relative pronoun – a connecting word that introduces a relative clause (i.e. a clause that gives more information about a noun) e.g. which, that, who, whose, whom, whoever.

Examples of compound sentences

Let's look at some examples of complex sentences.In the following sentences, the independent clauses are in blue, the connecting words are in red, and the dependent clauses are in green.

• I heated my food in the microwave because it had gone cold.
• Customers shop here often whenever the prices go down.
• Amy sent back her item after she realised it was damaged.

Let's look at the first sentence in more detail. The dependent clause 'it had gone cold' contains a subject and a verb, but doesn't make sense on its own as we wouldn't know what 'it' was referring to.

Compound-complex sentences

This type of sentence is made up ofa combinationof a compound sentenceand a complex sentence - as the name suggests!

Compound-complex sentences contain two (or more) independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. As they can include a lot of clauses, they are usually the longest sentence type.

The rules for linking the clauses together are the same for both compound and complex sentences:

• If we join anindependent clause to another independent clause, then we use a comma with a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.

• If we join a dependent clause to an independent clause, we use a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun.

Examples of complex-compound sentences

Here are some examples of complex-compound sentences. The independent clauses are in blue, the dependent clauses are in green, and the connectives are in red.

• When I grow up, I want to be a nurse, and I want to help people who are ill.
• After we went outside, I was feeling cold, andit started raining.
• I went to the pet shop, even though I didn't have any money, and I bought a cute kitten.

Identifying Sentence Types

Now that you've learned the differences between the four sentence types, let's think about how to identify them.

One way of doing this is to look out for the number of independent and dependent clauses:

• A simple sentence is easy to recognise as it has only one independent clause.

• A compound sentence contains two independent clauses and no dependent clauses.

• A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one dependent clause.

• A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

We can also look at the types of connectives used in a sentence:

• Simple sentences don't contain any connectives.

• Coordinating conjunctions are used in compound sentences.

• Subordinating conjunctions are used in complex sentences.

• Both types of conjunctions are used in compound-complex sentences.

Difference Between Sentence Types and Sentence Functions

In this article, we have learned about the four sentence types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. However, we have to be careful not to confuse sentence types with sentence functions (of which there are also four).

The four sentence functions are:

• Declaratives(statements)

• Interrogatives (questions)

• Imperatives (commands)

• Exclamatives (exclamations)

The difference between the types of sentences covered in this article and the functions of sentences is quite simple. 'Sentence type' refers to the layout and structure of the sentence, whereas'sentence function' is talking about the content (i.e. what the sentence is used for).

Take a look at this sentence.

Will you wash the dishes?

This is a simple sentence (sentence type) and is also an interrogative (sentence function). This is because it only contains one independent clause and is an interrogative because it is asking a question.

Types of Sentence - Key Takeaways

• There are four types of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.
• Simple sentences contain one independent clause.
• Compound sentences contain two (or more) independent clauses, joined together by a comma and a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.
• Complex sentences contain at least one dependent clause linked to the main clause with a subordinating conjunction.
• Compound-complex sentences contain at least one dependent clause and at least two independent clauses.
• Sentence types differ from sentence functions.

What type of sentence contains one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses?

What has one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses?

What type of sentence that has two or more independent clauses and one or more independent clauses?

What type of sentence has a subordinate clause and an independent clause?