Is the sentence simple, compound or complex?

Key Notes:

🌟 Is the Sentence Simple, Compound, or Complex? 🌟

Simple Sentence 🟢

Definition: A sentence with only one complete idea (one independent clause).

Structure: Subject + Verb (+ Object)

Example Sentences:

• 🐱 The cat sleeps.
• 🌞 The sun rises in the east.
• 🏃‍♂️ I run every morning.

Tip: A simple sentence cannot have ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or’ connecting two complete ideas.

Compound Sentence 🔵

Definition: A sentence with two or more complete ideas (independent clauses) joined by coordinating conjunctions.

Coordinating Conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (Remember: FANBOYS!) ✨

Example Sentences:

• 🐶 The dog barked, and the cat ran away.
• 🌧️ It was raining, but we went out to play.
• 🍎 I like apples, so I eat one every day.

Tip: Each idea in a compound sentence can stand alone as a simple sentence. ✅

Complex Sentence 🟠

Definition: A sentence with one main idea (independent clause) and one or more additional ideas (dependent/subordinate clauses).

Subordinating Conjunctions: because, although, since, if, when, while, until, after, before… 📝

Example Sentences:

• 🏫 I stayed home because I was sick.
• 🌟 Although it was late, she finished her homework.
• 🍫 He ate the chocolate after he finished his lunch.

Tip: The dependent clause cannot stand alone; it needs the main clause to make sense. ❌

✅ Quick Comparison Table

Sentence Type	Number of Ideas	Connectors	Example
Simple 🟢	1	None	I like ice cream. 🍦
Compound 🔵	2+	FANBOYS	I like ice cream, and I like cake. 🎂
Complex 🟠	1 main + 1+ dependent	because, although…	I ate ice cream because it was hot. 🌞

🎯 Tips to Identify Sentences

• Look for how many complete ideas are there.
• Check if coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) join ideas → Compound.
• Check if there is a subordinating conjunction → Complex.
• If it has only one complete idea → Simple.

💡 Fun Trick:

Simple = Single idea 🟢

Compound = Connected ideas 🔵

Complex = Depends on main idea 🟠