CBSE 6 - 12 - English Grammar - Kinds Of Sentences (Part 2)

KINDS OF SENTENCES (Part 2)

You may see the first post on Kinds Of Sentences (Part-1)

Based on forms, sentences are of three types:

➊ Simple Sentences

➋ Compound Sentences

➌ Complex Sentences

Simple Sentence: A simple sentence has one subject, one predicate or finite verb.
e.g.

Rosy runs very fast.

They run very fast.

My friend is very intelligent.

Gold and Platinum are precious metals.

The train was late.

In the above sentences, words in black boxes are subjects while words in green boxes are predicates. See above the sentence "Gold and Platinum...", a conjunction is used to make a single subject.

Compound Sentences: In such sentences two or more co-ordinate clauses (independent of each other) are joined by a conjunction.

Examples are:
❶ Clouds appeared and it became to rain.

❷ You may stay or you may leave.

❸ I waited for the train, but it was late.

❹ The girls went to the disco but did not go to the cinema.



Each of the above compound sentences has two co-ordinate clauses which are joined by the conjunctions.

Generally following conjunctions:
⬨ For
⬨ And
⬨ Nor
⬨ But
⬨ Or
⬨ Yet
⬨ So

Complex Sentences: A complex substance consists of a principal or main clause and one or more subordinate clauses (dependent on others).

Examples are:
❶ I am so weak that I cannot attend the school.

❷ There is the boy who saved the drowning child.

❸ You need to work hard if you want to excel in your examination.
❹ I need to go shopping because there is nothing to eat at home.

The blue part in the above sentences make principal or main clause, which can be written independently. While the other part of the sentences make subordinate clauses. If you write them separately. they are not complete sentences.

Note(✍): When the dependent clause comes first, a comma should be used to separate the two clauses.When an independent clause comes first, a comma should not be used to separate the two clauses.

Subordinate (Dependent) clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions.
Following are the most commonly used subordinating conjunctions:
after, although, as, because, before, even though, if,since, though, unless, until, when, whenever, whereas, wherever, while

Exercise: Convert the following Simple Sentences into Complex Sentences.

1. I'm too weak to play football.

2. The brave remain forever.

3. I went to the market. We were out of milk.

4. She finished the work. She decided to rest.

Answers:
1. I'm so weak that I cannot play football.

2. Those who are brave remain forever.

3. I went to the market because we were out of milk.

4. After she had finished work, she decided to rest.


Exercise: Convert the following simple sentences into compound sentences.

1. You mush work hard to get through the exam.

2. Man proposes. God disposes.

3. Minakshi has money. She is unhappy.

Answers:
1. You must work hard or you will not get through the exam.

2. Man proposes and God disposes.

3. Minakshi has money but she is unhappy.