2-3 Sentence Structure
Key Concepts
- Subject
- Verb
- Object
- Compound Sentences
- Complex Sentences
Subject
The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about. It is usually a noun or a pronoun. For example, in the sentence "The cat slept," "cat" is the subject.
Verb
The verb is the action word in a sentence. It tells what the subject is doing or what is happening to the subject. For example, in the sentence "The cat slept," "slept" is the verb.
Object
The object is the person, place, thing, or idea that receives the action of the verb. It is usually a noun or a pronoun. For example, in the sentence "The cat chased the mouse," "mouse" is the object.
Compound Sentences
A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (such as "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," or "yet"). For example, "The cat slept, and the dog barked" is a compound sentence.
Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is made up of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. For example, "When the cat slept, the dog barked" is a complex sentence.
Examples and Analogies
Think of a sentence as a simple machine with different parts that work together. The subject is like the engine that starts the action, the verb is like the wheels that move the action forward, and the object is like the destination where the action ends. Compound sentences are like two simple machines working together, while complex sentences are like a simple machine with an extra part that depends on the main machine to function.
Practical Application
To practice sentence structure, try the following exercises:
- Identify the subject, verb, and object in a sentence.
- Create compound sentences by joining two simple sentences with a coordinating conjunction.
- Create complex sentences by adding a dependent clause to an independent clause.