1. Sentence Structure
University of the Sacred Heart
Department of Humanities
Center for Language Development
Across the Disciplines
LAD

2. Objective
To provide the student
with pointers on how to
construct sentences

3. Simple Sentence
A simple sentence has one subject
and one predicate

4. Simple Sentence
Observe how a simple sentence is
constructed:
We went to San Juan yesterday.

5. Simple Sentence
Pronoun Verb Prepositional phrase
We went to San Juan .
Simple subject Complete predicate

6. Compound Sentence
 A compound sentence has more than
one part that can stand alone
(independent clauses)
 Independent clauses are connected by
coordinating conjunctions, conjunctive
adverbs or a semi-colon.

7. Compound Sentence
We went to San Juan, and
most of us danced all night.

8. Compound Sentence
Subject Verb Prepositional phrase
We went to San Juan,
Predicate
Coordinating
Conjunction
and most of us danced all night .
Subject Verb Modifying phrase

9. Compound Sentences
 My parents caught a severe cold;
consequently, they had to cancel
their vacation.
Conjunctive
Adverb
Some people like basketball;
others prefer baseball.
Semi-colon

10. Complex Sentence
 A complex sentence has at least
two parts: one that can stand
alone and another one that cannot
The part that cannot stand alone is
linked to the rest of the sentence
by a subordinating conjunction

11. Complex Sentence
Since my boyfriend and I wanted to have fun,
we went to San Juan yesterday.

12. Complex Sentence
Since we wanted to have fun,
Part that cannot stand alone
Subordinating
Conjunction
Subject Predicate
we went to San Juan yesterday.

13. Compound-Complex
Sentence
 This type of sentence has more than
one part that can stand alone, and at
least one that cannot
 Notice how the different conjunctions
link the different parts of this sentence

14. Compound-Complex
Sentence
Since we wanted to have fun,
my boyfriend and I went to San Juan yesterday,
and we danced all night.

15. Compound-Complex
Sentence
Subordinating
Conjunction
Since we wanted to have fun,
Part that cannot stand alone
my boyfriend and I went to San Juan,
Coordinating Subject Predicate
Conjunction
and we danced all night.

16. For More Information
Index English Grammar and Composition
http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index2.
Tons of Fun with Grammar
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/flin/103_handouts/senten
ces_and_phrases.htm
Grammar Book Table of Contents
http://www.grammarbook.com/exercises/grammar/
cnt_gram.html

17. Thank You
Center for Language Development Across the Disciplines
Prepared by: Thalia N. Nazario-Santiago
Coordinator for the Center for Languages and Cultures
April-June 2003
Revised by: Patricia Kidd
August 2004
Revised by: Prof. Delia Serrano
January 2005