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00:08

Sentence Types, a la Shmoop. It would be pretty boring if sentences only

00:14

came in a single flavor.

00:16

Vanilla’s fine, but who wants a world without chocolate? Or even… green tea ice cream?

00:23

Hey, some people like it…

00:27

There are three basic types of sentences.

00:30

First, the simple sentence, AKA the independent clause. You can also think of it as a complete

00:38

thought. So long as it’s got a subject and a verb, you’re set.

00:42

The other two types use different helper words to connect clauses.

00:49

Compound sentences have two independent clauses, connected with a helper word such as and,

00:54

nor, or so.

00:57

And finally, complex sentences really live up to their name… they have an independent

01:02

clause plus one or more dependent clauses…

01:05

…which can’t stand alone as complete thoughts… so they’re connected via a helper word such

01:11

as although, when, or which.

01:14

Now let’s translate this all into English.

01:19

Here’s the simplest of simple sentences.

01:22

A simple sentence is solid; it stands on its own.

01:26

That’s why it’s also known as an independent clause.

01:32

Like our friend over here…it stands on two legs: a subject and a verb.

01:38

But a simple sentence doesn’t have to be quite so simple.

01:43

It can have a compound subject – that is, multiple subjects…

01:48

“Mike and Bobby are caught by the police.”

01:52

…or a compound verb.

01:56

Mike goes home and loses his “art supplies.” In a compound sentence…

02:01

…you’ve got one sentence, but two independent clauses…

02:05

…joined by a FANBOYS coordinator.

02:07

And by FANBOYS we mean for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.

02:16

These FANBOYS are just dying to get between two independent clauses…

02:20

…usually preceded by a comma.

02:23

For example,

02:24

“Bobby failed miserably to impress Lisa, yet he kept trying to impress Megan, too.”

02:31

And then there’s the…complex sentences.

02:35

That is, an independent clause joined to one or more dependent clauses.

02:43

They’re joined by either a subordinator – such as because, after, although, or when,

02:55

or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which.

03:00

For example:

03:02

“Mike took down his shrine to Suzie which took over a month to make.”

03:15

And one with two dependent clauses:

03:19

“Although Suzie thought Mike was sort of cute, she preferred someone who didn’t literally

03:32

worship her.”

03:33

So there are three sentence types – simple, compound, and complex.

03:43

A simple sentence is an independent clause -- with at least one subject and verb.

03:49

A compound sentence is two independent clauses joined together by FANBOYS.

03:55

And a complex sentence is one independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses,

04:00

joined by a subordinator or relative pronoun.

04:07

Just remember that there’s always got to be as least one independent clause in each

04:11

sentence.

04:12

Because somebody’s got to stay independent…

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