SIMPLE
Formula: | Example: |
S V. | Bill runs. |
S and S V. | Bill and Jeff run. |
S V and V. | Bill runs and jumps. |
S and S V and V. | Bill and Jeff run and jump |
COMPOUND
Formula: | Example: |
I, f I. | Bill runs, and he jumps. |
I; I. | Bill runs; he jumps. |
COMPLEX
Formula: | Example: |
I D. | Bill runs when he goes to school. |
D, I. | When he goes to school, Bill runs. |
COMPOUND-COMPLEX
Formula: | Example: |
I, f I D. | Bill runs, and he jumps when he sees a dog. |
I; I D. | Bill runs; he jumps when he sees a dog. |
I D, f I. | Bill jumps when he sees a dog, and he runs. |
D, I, f I. | When he sees a dog, Bill jumps, and he runs. |
D, I; I. | When he sees a dog, Bill jumps; he runs. |
I D; I. | Bill jumps when he sees a dog; he runs. |
Note: This list is not exhaustive. There are other sentences that may not fit into these formulas, but these are examples to help build writing foundations.
Formula Key:
S: Subject
V: Verb
I: Independent clause (essentially a complete sentence)
D: Dependent clause (a fragment that relies on a complete sentence)
f: Coordinating Conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. These are words that connect two independent clauses. Words like because and since are not coordinating conjunctions and cannot be used in these formula examples.)
S: Subject
V: Verb
I: Independent clause (essentially a complete sentence)
D: Dependent clause (a fragment that relies on a complete sentence)
f: Coordinating Conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. These are words that connect two independent clauses. Words like because and since are not coordinating conjunctions and cannot be used in these formula examples.)