Sentence Types

Sentences are grouped according to types, not based on how long the sentences are but on what kinds of clauses the sentence contains and how many clauses the sentence contains.

Sentence Types

Type Number of
Independent
clauses Number of
Dependent
Clauses Example

Fragment
(Incomplete Sentence) 0 0 or more Watching my cousin working in the garden trying to grow vegetables

Simple 1 0 The shortest path to failure is the refusal to try.

Compound 2 or more 0 I came; I saw; I conquered

Complex 1 1 or more I knew I was succeeding when I saw my teacher's smile

Compound-Complex 2 or more 1 or more The secret to writing is revision, but most students think of revision as something they must avoid at any cost.

Sentence Types
Type	Number of Independent clauses	Number of Dependent Clauses	Example
Fragment (Incomplete Sentence)	0	0 or more	Watching my cousin working in the garden trying to grow vegetables
Simple	1	0	The shortest path to failure is the refusal to try.
Compound	2 or more	0	I came; I saw; I conquered
Complex	1	1 or more	I knew I was succeeding when I saw my teacher's smile
Compound-Complex	2 or more	1 or more	The secret to writing is revision, but most students think of revision as something they must avoid at any cost.

This chart identifies fragments as well as sentence types (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) by the number of independent and dependent clauses, providing an example for each.

ENGL1010 Composition I