Types of Sentences by Structure: What you need to know 

Sentences are defined in many ways by varying schools of thoughts. Some define it as: A group of words with a finite verb that makes complete sense, a group of words with a subject and predicate, etc. But a definition I find to be wider in scope, compared to the aforementioned definitions, is the definition of sentences as the highest element of structure on the grammatical rank scale. 

Sentences are classified in two ways, namely; By structure, and By function. This article will be looking at the classification of sentences from structural perspective.

Sentences are classified by structure based on their components. That is, elements that make up sentences such as subject, and predicate. When sentences are classified by structure, they are being examined solely for their compositional qualities and not the roles or various functions they perform. The types of sentences by function include the following;

1. Simple Sentence

2. Compound Sentence

3. Complex Sentence

Note: Some schools of thoughts clamour for the inclusion of compound-complex sentences in the list, but I find it unnecessarily repetitive because complex sentences are structured in the same way as compound—complex sentences, as you will be seeing in the forgoing sections of this article.

Simple sentences 

Simple sentences are the smallest in the structural classification of sentences category. They are sentences made up of a single main clause which implies that they contain at least a subject and a finite verb. Main clauses or independent clauses, are clauses that are capable of expressing meaning independently without having to rely on another clause. It is possible to opine that a simple sentence is the direct equivalent of a main clause. Examples of simple sentences include;

1. John is a man.

2. The principal goes to school very early.

3. Mrs. Johnson works for the New Milford bank.

4. He is new in the neighborhood.

5. Boys are naturally adventurous.

Simple sentences are great tools for starting paragraphs due to their straight forward nature.

Compound sentences 

Compound sentences are one of the easiest sentences to analyze under the structural classification of sentences category. They are sentences made up of two or more simple sentences. They combine simple sentences using commas, semi-colons, colons, and coordinating conjunctions. Compound sentences contain only main clauses, and each must contain similar or related ideas or propositions. Examples of compound sentences include;

1. John is a man, and he knows his rights. 

2. Mr. Gibson works at Miami hotel, yet lives at Tampa, Florida.

3. These boys are arrogant, but it pays off sometimes.

4. My books are heavy, and I am running late for my classes.

5. She is a pretty lady, or don't you think so?

Compound sentences are great tools for compressing large information into a single compartment, rather than sounding unnatural with continuous use of simple sentences.

Complex sentences

Complex sentences are usually considered the largest structural classification of sentences due to the wide range of possibilities available to them in the process of their formation. They are sentences that are made up of at least one main clause and one subordinate clause. A subordinate clause is a clause that is dependent on a main clause for its meaning unable to stand on its own. Examples of complex sentences include the following;

1. Because he owns the park, he ordered the unauthorized vendors out.

2. The principal went to school late even though he ordered the students to be early.

3. My teacher is cautious whenever It's time for a test or an exam.

4. Because of what they saw yesterday, the boys did exactly as they were told to.

5. Before you could recognize it, it was camp coral.

Complex sentences have their subordinate clauses introduced by a subordinate adverb or subordinate conjunction such as; as well as, before, because, even though, when, though, as a result, after, etc. Subordinate adverbs or conjunctions are words that are used to link subordinate clauses with main clauses in a complex sentence. Complex sentences are great tools for including variety in a paragraph as one sentence style will affect the readability of a paragraph. They can include as many main clauses and subordinate clauses as possible in their formation.

Related posts:

• Types of Sentences by Function
• Grammatical Rank Scale 
• What are Sentences?