Page 14 - Arrow Publications Pvt. Ltd.

Grammar Skills

Simple, Complex and Compound Sentences

Simple, complex and compound sentences are some of the major categories of English sentences.

• A simple sentence can contain as few as two words, as long as there is a subject and a
predicate. A simple sentence contains only one independent clause.

Example: Hearing the noise, we went out.

• A compound sentence is one that contains multiple independent clauses, without any
dependent clauses. The independent clauses are complete sentences by themselves. They
must be joined by a conjunction such as nor, but, or, yet and so.

Example: We heard the noise, and we went out.
• A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

They often contain marker words that signal a dependent clause such as: if, when, as, while,

where, before, after, that, because, though etc.

Example: When we heard the noise, we went out.

1. Identify the type of sentence.

1. She was innocent so the court gave her a clean chit.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

2. In the evening, I am going to the park.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Nidhi is not keeping well, yet she decided to go to work.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. The moon looks amazing today.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
5. There are very few people who can speak English perfectly well.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Though it was raining, she went to school.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Change the sentences from simple to complex.

1. Inspite of being sick, Renu went to school.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Arrow - English Plus-8 12