Reviewing Sentence Purposes and Structures

This activity has two parts: Part A is a review of what sentences do, and Part B is a review of how sentences are constructed. Both will help you prepare for the activities that follow.

There are four different types of sentences, and writers often use each type for different effects. In the following exercise, choose the type of  sentence that it best matches.

Sentences can have different functions, but they can also have different sentence structures. The complexity of  a sentence can have a huge effect on the feel of an author's words—are the author’s sentences short and easy to digest? Slow and thoughtful?

Types of sentence structures

Read more about these four kinds of sentence structures:

• A simple sentence has one independent clause and no dependent clauses. (“The cat ate her food.”) The sentence may have a simple or compound subject; it may contain one or more phrases. A simple sentence can provide power and punch.
• A compound sentence is composed of at least two independent clauses linked with a conjunction or semicolon. (“The cat ate her food, but the dog ate my food instead.”) The two independent clauses balance each other in weight and importance while also bringing two ideas closer together by putting them in one sentence.
• A complex sentence is a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. (“The cat ate the food that you gave her.”) The clauses are related to each other, but one idea is more important than the other.
• A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. (“The dog will eat anything, but the cat, who thinks she owns the house, will only eat expensive food.”) This type of sentence contains several different ideas that operate on different levels.

The following sentences come from Louis L’Amour’s Education of a Wandering Man. Which quote best matches each sentence structure?