Is the sentence simple or compound?

Key Notes:-

1. What is a Simple Sentence?

  • A simple sentence has one subject and one predicate.
  • It expresses one complete thought.
  • It can have more than one subject or more than one predicate, but it’s still considered simple as long as it expresses just one idea.
  • Example 1: “The cat runs.”
    • This sentence has one subject (the cat) and one predicate (runs).
  • Example 2: “The cat and dog run in the yard.”
    • This is still a simple sentence even though it has two subjects (cat and dog) because it expresses only one idea.

2. What is a Compound Sentence?

  • A compound sentence has two or more simple sentences (called independent clauses) joined together by a comma and a conjunction (and, but, or, so) or a semicolon.
  • Each part of a compound sentence can stand alone as a simple sentence.
  • Example: “The cat runs, and the dog chases it.”
    • This is a compound sentence because it has two complete thoughts: “The cat runs.” and “The dog chases it.”

3. Conjunctions in Compound Sentences

  • The most common conjunctions used to join two simple sentences are:
    • and (to add information)
    • but (to show a contrast)
    • or (to show a choice)
    • so (to show a result)
  • Examples:
    • and: “I like pizza, and I like ice cream.”
    • but: “I like pizza, but I don’t like vegetables.”
    • or: “We can go to the park, or we can stay home.”
    • so: “It was raining, so we stayed inside.”

4. How to Tell if a Sentence is Simple

  • Step 1: Look for one subject and one predicate.
  • Step 2: Check if it expresses one complete idea.
  • Example: “The dog barked.”
    • This is a simple sentence because it has one subject (dog) and one predicate (barked).

5. How to Tell if a Sentence is Compound

  • Step 1: Look for two or more independent clauses (two simple sentences).
  • Step 2: Check if they are joined by a comma and a conjunction (and, but, or, so) or a semicolon.
  • Example: “The dog barked, and the cat ran away.”
    • This is a compound sentence because it has two independent clauses: “The dog barked.” and “The cat ran away.”

6. Examples of Simple and Compound Sentences

  • Simple Sentence Example: “She reads every night.”
    • One subject (she) and one predicate (reads).
  • Compound Sentence Example: “She reads every night, and she writes in her journal.”
    • Two independent clauses: “She reads every night.” and “She writes in her journal.”

7. How to Form Compound Sentences

  • Join two simple sentences together using a comma and a conjunction.
  • Example:
    • Simple sentences: “I like to swim.” “I like to run.”
    • Compound sentence: “I like to swim, and I like to run.”

8. Practice Examples

  • Example 1: “The sun shines, and the birds sing.”
    • This is a compound sentence because it has two ideas: “The sun shines.” and “The birds sing.”
  • Example 2: “The boy ran fast.”
    • This is a simple sentence because it has one idea (The boy ran fast).

9. Quick Tips to Remember

  • A simple sentence has only one complete thought.
  • A compound sentence has two or more complete thoughts joined by a conjunction (and, but, or, so) or a semicolon.
  • Look for conjunctions (and, but, or, so) to see if a sentence is compound.

Let’s practice!