Sentence Types

It is important to master various sentence forms. Using a variety of different sentences will help you to achieve a high score. Let’s look at the main sentence types.

Simple sentences

A simple sentence has one subject and one verb.

My friends take a lot of selfies.

    Noun      Verb

Compound Sentences

A compound sentence has two or more simple sentences linked by the conjunctions and, or and but.

Some people enjoy the challenge of working abroad, but others would rather stay in their home country.

(Simple sentence 1 / Simple sentence 2)

Complex Sentence

A complex sentence has two clauses, one main (or independent) and one subordinate (or dependent). 

Although it has many negative effects, the internet is generally a positive force.

(Subordinate clause / main clause) 

The main clause is known as the independent clause because it could stand alone. The subordinate clause is known as the dependent clause because it could not stand alone. In this sentence, the main clause (The internet is generally a positive force) could be a sentence, but the subordinate clause (although it has many negative effects) could not. 

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are words used to create complex sentences. The two most common structures are:

Main Clause + SC + Subordinate Clause.

SC+ Subordinate Clause + , + Main Clause.

There are over fifty different subordinating conjunctions. Rather than attempting to master all of them straight away, first learn a short list, knowing what function each one serves.

Function               Word

Time                      After (or ‘Once’) /  

                               Before / When

Cause/effect        Because / As

Condition             If / Unless

Contrast               Even though / 

                              Although / While         

Examples:

Before world hunger can be tackled, it is necessary to create stronger global institutions. 

It is difficult to solve the problem of traffic congestion in major cities as more and more people own cars.

Unless a country has a good education system, it will struggle to meet the challenges of the future.

Note: Don’t repeat the main noun in a sentence

A common mistake that students make when writing complex sentences is to repeat the main noun in a sentence. In this example, the noun ‘crime’ is repeated twice.

If crime is to be reduced, local police forces need to be strengthened to combat crime. 

This error makes your writing look bad. There are two ways to avoid it.

1. Only refer to the main noun once

You can simply not mention the noun again. 

If crime is to be reduced in poorer countries, local police forces need to be strengthened. 

2. Use a pronoun 

Instead of mentioning a noun a second time, you can replace it with a pronoun. In academic writing, you will mostly be using the singular ‘it’ and the plural ‘they/them’. 

If crime is to be reduced in poorer countries, local police forces need to be strengthened to combat it. 

Relative Clauses

A relative clause is one kind of dependent clause. It is used to give more information about a noun. There are four main words that are used:

People = who / that

Things = which / that

Places = where

Here are a few examples:

Divorce, which is on the rise in Western countries, can have a negative effect on children. 

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram have created online communities that are global in scale. 

There are three main rules that you should follow. 

1. Relative clauses modify nouns, and they must come after the noun they are modifying. 

Athletes who take performance enhancing drugs are not good role models.

The relative clause is referring to "athletes", so it comes after that noun. 

2. If the information is ‘extra’ information, there are commas, 

The European Union, which is a group of 27 countries, is one of the largest political bodies in the world. 

The relative clause is not identifying the noun, it is just extra information. 

3. If the information is ‘essential’ (i.e. the sentence would not make sense without it), there are no commas. 

In my experience, people who have a good work ethic are more likely to achieve academic and professional success. 

With ‘essential’ relative clauses, ‘that’ can replace ‘who’ or ‘which’. For example:

Cities that (which) have bad traffic congestion are often very polluted. 

Learning English is necessary for students that (who) want to study at Western universities. 

Compound-Complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence has two or more simple sentences and one or more subordinate clauses. It is simply adding an extra clause to a complex sentence using and, but or or. This form is a useful way to extend your sentences and improve your grammar score.

If someone has a high level of education (subordinate clause), they will have more work opportunities in the future (simple sentence 1) and enjoy a higher standard of living. (simple sentence 2)

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