The Element of the Sentence

Sentences are the building blocks paragraphs, which are the building blocks of written language and communication. While many define a sentence as a group of words creating a complete thought, this definition is too broad and needs further explanation. In fact, sentences are made of clauses, clauses are made of phrases, and phrases are made of words. Examining the sentence in terms of those elements and sub-elements will provide a deeper understanding of the building blocks of the paragraph and written language and communication.

Clauses are the building blocks of sentences. There are two types of clauses – independent clauses and dependent clauses. An independent clause can complete a thought by itself, or independently, whereas a dependent clause depends on an independent clause to complete the thought. The independent clause is the primary element of a sentence. All sentences must contain at least one independent clause to be complete. Some sentences will contain more than one independent clause. Other sentences will contain one or more independent clauses and dependent clauses that modify other causes.

The best way to grasp the concept of the sentence is to examine examples of various types of sentences.

Types of Sentences

These are the four types of sentences:

The Simple Sentence

A simple sentence contains one main clause. This sentence contains only one independent clause.

My response to food is an example of classical conditioning.
Smith will run for office next year.
and Mrs. Jones went to the beach last weekend,
They used to live in the United States

The Compound Sentence

A compound sentence contains more than one main clause. Theses sentences contain two independent clauses separated by a comma and a conjunction.

The boss will either give me a raise, or I will quit.
He works in a factory, and she works in a hospital,
Smaller solar panels placed on the roofs of homes can provide some clean energy to the inhabitants of those homes without causing problems for waterfowl, but larger solar panels will overwhelm the environment.
“Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil” (Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776)

The Complex Sentence.

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Improper grammar may lead to ambiguous statements that might be misinterpreted.
With men as they are and with laws as they could be, can there be in the civil order any sure and legitimate rule of administration? Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience, 1849)
“But a government in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it” (Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience, 1849)
When the car that keeps speeding through the neighborhood comes back around, I will take pictures of its license plates and call the police to tell them that the driver is endangering the children who like to play in the streets when they are not attending school.

These sentences contain at least one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

In the last sentence, there are five dependent clauses of various types (and various green shades) that modify other elements in other clauses.

The Compound/Complex Sentence

A compound/complex sentence contains at least one dependent clause and at least two independent clauses.

This picture makes the meal look more appealing to me because I like the Christmas season, and I do eat a lot during that time.
If you do want to buy the paperback version of the book, then you may listen to the audiobook version, or you could obtain an electronic version.
When the train arrives at the station, I will be there waiting for you, and I will drive you to your hotel.

Understanding the structure of the sentence will benefit all those who want to improve their reading comprehension and writing skills of complex English syntax.