Winnie Tang teaches how simple, compound, and complex sentences keep writing engaging. Simple sentences have one independent clause. Compound sentences join two independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions like and or but. Complex sentences combine an independent clause with a dependent clause using subordinating conjunctions like because or when.
Chapters
When we are reading or listening to someone speak, we want to be engaged. Using the same type of sentences over and over and over again, it can be really, really repetitive and can get a little bit boring. Hi everyone, this is Winnie or Miss Tang. Today we are going to be learning to use simple, compound, and complex sentences. This is because we want to vary the sentences in the text that we are writing or when we are speaking. We also want to make sure we engage our readers and ensure that our audience can really understand understand and comprehend what we are trying to say or communicate. For our success criteria today, good is you can recognize simple, compound, or complex sentences. Great is can you recognize simple, compound, and complex sentences? Amazing is can you identify the different type of sentence features? Can you write an example of a simple, compound, and complex sentence? And fabulous Can you explain the difference between the 3 different type of sentences? And can you teach someone else how to write a simple, compound, and complex sentence? A simple sentence is any type of sentence that has only 1 independent clause. So this is a group of words with at least 1 subject and a verb. It expresses a thought, and the subject is either a noun or a pronoun. The reason why we use simple sentences is we want to be clear and be informative. We may also want to be direct and to the point. And when we are writing a story or a narrative, we might want to increase the action or the tension in the story. This is an example from a narrative that I have written called Amber and the Browbeating Bully. And this is actually a prequel to the book that my friend and I are writing. Amber rolled her eyes. Her dad was so silly sometimes. Can you spot the noun and the verb inside these simple sentences? What about these ones? No one moved. No one said a word. So you can see, for example, in the sentence, no one moved, no one is the noun in the sentence and moved is your verb. Were you able to spot the noun and the verb inside these simple sentences? Compound sentences. These are sentences that connect two independent clauses together. So independent clauses are sentences that can stand on its own and they are connected by a coordinating conjunction. These two independent clauses or the sentences, they are related together. And some examples of coordinating conjunctions include for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. The reason why we might use compound sentences is to increase the pace and to connect two related ideas together. Here are some examples of some compound sentences. Amber ran to her final position of the cheerleading dance but it was too late. So you've got your two independent clauses on either side, and then because we have the conjunction there as well, we also have a comma. So we have our two independent clauses on either side of the conjunction, and the conjunction that we are using to connect these two related ideas together is the conjunction "but." And as you can see, we also have a comma just before it. Our first cheerleading competition is coming up, comma, So we need a cheerleading captain. So we have two independent clauses which can stand on its own as its own sentences, and we are connecting it with an example of a conjunction, which is so, and we also have a comma before it. Okay, what about our third type of sentence? The third type of sentence is the complex sentence. A complex sentence includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. A dependent clause cannot stand on its own as its own sentence, but an independent clause can. We also connect these clauses through subordinating conjunctions. For example, because, since, until, after, although, as, before, even though, if. Sometimes if we have the dependent clause come first, we will also need a comma. The reason why people use complex sentences is to provide more information or to explain or modify the main point. Here's an example of a complex sentence. "It had been 2 years since she received it." "Since" is our subordinating conjunction that we are using to connect the 2 ideas together, and "since she received it" is also a dependent clause as well. So a dependent clause is a sentence that won't stand on its own as its own sentence. Another example is, "When Amber stood back up from her stretch, Viviana was standing in front of her." So we have started with "when," and because we started that at the beginning of the sentence, we need a comma after it. So "when Amber stood back up from her stretch" is a dependent clause because it can't stand on its own as a complete sentence. And so we have our dependent clause plus an independent clause together, which then makes a complex sentence. Another example is "After packing up the equipment, Mrs. Robinson pulled Amber aside." So we have the dependent clause at the beginning, and then we have a comma, and then an independent clause. and we have used the subordinating conjunction after. And remember that there is also a comma after this dependent clause. Okay, now it is your turn. Can you find any simple, compound, or complex sentences in the book that you are reading? Can you write your own simple, compound, and complex sentences? To learn how to help your reader understand what you are writing, here is my grammar and punctuation playlist right here. See you in my next video. Bye!
