Simple vs Complex Sentence
Understanding the difference between simple and complex sentences is fundamental in becoming proficient in the English language. Sentences, whether written or spoken, are made up of words that come together to convey meaning. These sentences can be simple, compound, or complex, and they serve various purposes. Simple sentences are typically used when speaking to someone, as they allow for clear communication. Complex sentences, which are often longer, can also be used in speech, but are more common in writing since readers can re-read the sentence if they don’t understand it initially.
What is a Simple Sentence?
A simple sentence is a group of words that contains no extra phrases and makes complete sense. It consists of a subject and a verb and conveys a complete idea. For example:
Beth ate a cake.
This simple sentence conveys one main idea, telling us that Beth ate a cake. In this sentence, we see a subject (Beth), a verb (ate), and an object (cake).
What is a Complex Sentence?
A complex sentence is formed when an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses are combined. It can also be considered a combination of simple sentences joined by conjunctions. Common conjunctions include ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘although’, ‘as’, ‘so’, ‘because’, ‘when’, ‘then’, and ‘that’. Here’s an example:
My mother made noodles, and we ate them.
This complex sentence combines two simple sentences, ‘my mother made noodles’ and ‘we ate them’, joined by the conjunction ‘and’.
Key Takeaways
- A simple sentence has one subject and verb and expresses a single idea; it can stand on its own.
- A complex sentence is formed by joining an independent clause (which can stand on its own) with a dependent clause using a conjunction.
- Complex sentences have two or more verbs, two or more clauses, and express more than one idea.
