Basic Sentence Structure
* Subject: The person, place, thing, or idea that performs the action.
* Predicate: The part of the sentence that tells what the subject does or is. It always includes a verb.
Types of Clauses
* Independent Clause: A complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. It has its own subject and predicate.
* Dependent Clause: A group of words with a subject and verb, but it cannot stand alone as a sentence. It relies on an independent clause for meaning.
Compound Sentences
* Definition: Two or more independent clauses joined together by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
* Example: "The sun was shining, and the birds were singing."
Complex Sentences
* Definition: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
* Example: "Because it was raining, we decided to stay inside."
Let's Connect This to Your Question
To form a compound or complex sentence, you need at least one independent clause (with its own subject and predicate), and for a complex sentence, you also need at least one dependent clause.
Examples
* Compound: "The dog barked loudly, and the cat hissed in response." (Two independent clauses)
* Complex: "When the bell rang, the students rushed out of the classroom." (Independent: "the students rushed out of the classroom." Dependent: "When the bell rang")
Key Point: Even though dependent clauses contain a subject and verb, they are not complete sentences on their own. They need to be connected to an independent clause to make sense.