Sentence structure refers to how words are arranged to form a meaningful sentence. In English, a sentence must have a subject and a verb, and it must express a complete thought.

1. Basic Sentence Structure

A simple sentence follows this basic structure:

✅ Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)

  • Subject: Who or what the sentence is about.
  • Verb: Action or state of being.
  • Object: The receiver of the action.

Examples:

  • She (S) writes (V) a letter (O).
  • They (S) play (V) football (O).
  • Ali (S) is reading (V) a book (O).

2. Types of Sentences by Structure

1️⃣ Simple Sentence

A simple sentence has one independent clause (a complete thought).

✅ Examples:

  • I love music.
  • She studies every day.
  • The sun rises in the east.

2️⃣ Compound Sentence

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).

✅ Examples:

  • I like coffee, but she prefers tea.
  • Ali studied hard, so he passed the exam.
  • You can take a taxi, or you can walk.

3️⃣ Complex Sentence

A complex sentence has one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses (which cannot stand alone).

✅ Examples:

  • Because it was raining, we stayed inside.
  • She didn’t come because she was sick.
  • Although he tried, he couldn’t lift the box.

🔹 Common Subordinating Conjunctions (for dependent clauses):

  • Cause: because, since, as
  • Condition: if, unless
  • Time: when, while, before, after
  • Contrast: although, though, whereas

4️⃣ Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

✅ Examples:

  • Although he was tired, he went to work, and he completed the project.
  • She likes ice cream, but because she is on a diet, she avoids eating it.

3. Types of Sentences by Purpose

1️⃣ Declarative Sentence (Statement)

A declarative sentence states a fact or opinion and ends with a period (.).

✅ Examples:

  • The sky is blue.
  • She loves reading books.

2️⃣ Interrogative Sentence (Question)

An interrogative sentence asks a question and ends with a question mark (?).

✅ Examples:

  • Where do you live?
  • Did you complete your homework?

3️⃣ Imperative Sentence (Command or Request)

An imperative sentence gives a command, request, or instruction. It can end with a period (.) or an exclamation mark (!).

✅ Examples:

  • Close the door, please.
  • Don’t touch that!

4️⃣ Exclamatory Sentence (Strong Emotion)

An exclamatory sentence expresses strong emotion and ends with an exclamation mark (!).

✅ Examples:

  • Wow! That was amazing!
  • I can’t believe you did that!

4. Sentence Errors to Avoid

❌ Run-on Sentence:

  • I love coffee I drink it every day. (Incorrect)
    ✅ I love coffee, and I drink it every day. (Correct)

❌ Comma Splice:

  • She is tired, she will rest. (Incorrect)
    ✅ She is tired, so she will rest. (Correct)

❌ Fragment (Incomplete Sentence):

  • Because he was late. (Incorrect)
    ✅ Because he was late, he missed the bus. (Correct)