Types of Syntax

There are many types of syntax that apparently look as different sentence structures in English. English sentences can be divided in 4 different types according to syntax:

1.    Simple

2.    Compound

3.    Complex

4.    Compound-complex

Simple sentence

The easiest type of sentence structure to comprehend in English is a simple sentence. A simple sentence has a single independent clause (a single verb) expressing a single idea and do not depend on other clause.

Examples of simple sentences include:

·         I love cherries in breakfast.

·         John and Sophia love mountain hiking.

·         She is my lovely sister.

·         Adam forgot to bring his bat to playground.

·         Ronnie and Jacky enjoy feasting but hate cooking at home.

Compound sentence

A compound sentence consists on more than one independent clause with no dependent clauses. Conjunctions or linker (a comma, a semi-colon, a colon, a dash, or any other conjunction) are used to connect the clauses.

Examples of compound sentences include:

·         Your pen is too cheap, and my pen is so tiny.

·         Jacky was late, but Adam arrived before time.

·         I know who you are; you were in my football team.

·         I like mangoes and my wife likes cherries.

Complex sentence

A complex sentence differs from compound sentence and also has more than one clause but the difference lie here that one of the clause must be an independent clause and the other should be a dependent clause.

Examples of complex sentences include:

·         This room is much hot; therefore, I switched ON the fan.

·         Although she was happy, she got divorce from her husband.

Compound-complex sentence

Compound-complex sentences (also known as complex–compound sentences) are a combination of complex sentences and compound sentences and this combination make a single sentence. Such sentences contain at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause.

Examples of compound-complex sentences include:

·         Though Adam loves playing cricket, he bought a new bat, and enjoyed playing whole Sunday with friends.

·         Jack forgot her friend’s birthday, so he called him for a surprise when he finally remembered.