Sep 163 min read

Syntax: Understanding Clauses and Sentence Types

Updated: Sep 24

In my science of reading journey, diving into syntax has been the natural next step in my learning. To really grasp this concept, I knew I needed to unpack it thoroughly—and of course, create a fun mnemonic to help it stick!

I’ve created a handy slide deck that helped me truly understand syntax making a recipe for sentences. Naturally, I included two of my favourite things: donuts and mnemonics!

Understanding the different components of a sentence is essential for teaching students how to construct varied and meaningful sentences. Honestly, this is learning I definitely missed in school!

Clauses are the building blocks of sentences, and knowing how to distinguish between them helps in understanding sentence structure. Let’s break down independent clauses, dependent clauses, subordinating clauses, and coordinating conjunctions. Then, we’ll look at the sentence types that can be created using these clauses.

1. Independent Clause

An independent clause is a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a subject and a verb, making it a fully formed sentence.

Example:

"The kids munch on sweet donuts."

Characteristics:

Has a subject and a verb.
Expresses a complete thought.

2. Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause)

A dependent clause, or subordinate clause, cannot stand alone as a sentence. It also contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It relies on an independent clause to provide meaning.

Example:

"while they enjoy the ones with chocolate sprinkles."

Characteristics:

Has a subject and a verb.
Does not express a complete thought.
Begins with a subordinating conjunction (e.g., although, because, when).

3. Subordinating Conjunction

A subordinating conjunction is a word or phrase that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause. It shows a relationship such as cause and effect, time, or condition between the two clauses.

4. Coordinating Conjunction

Coordinating conjunctions join two or more independent clauses (or words, phrases, or other parts of speech of equal importance). The most common coordinating conjunctions can be remembered with the acronym FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

Sentence Types

Now that we've explained the different clauses and conjunctions, let’s explore how these elements combine to form different types of sentences.

1. Simple Sentence

A simple sentence contains one independent clause. There are no dependent clauses.

Example:

"The kids munch on sweet donuts."

Explanation: This sentence has a subject ("kids") and a verb ("much"), making it a complete thought.

2. Compound Sentence

A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses, joined by a coordinating conjunction (or sometimes a semicolon).

Example:

"The kids munch on sweet donuts, and they love the ones with chocolate sprinkles."

Explanation: There are two independent clauses, “The kids munch on sweet donuts” and “they love the ones with chocolate sprinkles” joined by the coordinating conjunction "and."

3. Complex Sentence

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. The clauses are often connected by a subordinating conjunction.

Example:

"The kids munch on sweet donuts while they enjoy the ones with chocolate sprinkles."

Explanation: The dependent clause “The kids munch on sweet donuts ” is connected to the independent clause “they enjoy the ones with chocolate sprinkles” by the subordinating conjunction "while."

4. Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. It’s a combination of both compound and complex sentences.

Example:

"The kids munch on sweet donuts, and they enjoy the ones with chocolate sprinkles because they taste the best"

Explanation: This sentence has two independent clauses: “The kids munch on sweet donuts” and "they enjoy the ones with chocolate sprinkles". It also has one dependent clause: “ they taste the best,” connected by the subordinating conjunction "because."

Understanding independent clauses, dependent clauses, subordinating conjunctions, and coordinating conjunctions is key to constructing a variety of sentence types. By mastering these, students can move beyond simple sentences to more complex and expressive structures. Encourage students to experiment with these sentence types to enhance their writing!

Download the PDF Slide deck here: