Types of Sentences · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Four Ways to Build a Sentence

English · Grammar & Punctuation · ages 11-14
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which of these is a complete sentence?

    • The wind blew all night.
    • When the storm finally passed.
    • Because the wind blew all night.

  2. Which sentence type is this: 'When the bell rang, everyone hurried inside.'?

    • Simple
    • Compound
    • Complex

  3. In this sentence, which part is the dependent clause? 'Because the library closed, we studied at Maya's house.'

    • There is no dependent clause
    • Because the library closed
    • we studied at Maya's house

  4. Which sentence type is this: 'The rain stopped; the sun came out.'?

    • Complex
    • Simple
    • Compound

  5. Which version combines these two ideas into a complex sentence that shows cause: 'The game was cancelled. It was raining.'?

    • Because it was raining, the game was cancelled.
    • The game was cancelled or it was raining.
    • The game was cancelled, and it was raining.

  6. Which sentence type is this: 'Although she was tired, she finished the race, and her friends cheered.'?

    • Compound
    • Complex
    • Compound-complex

  7. Which version combines these ideas into a complex sentence that shows contrast: 'Lena was nervous. She stepped onto the stage.'?

    • Lena was nervous, so she stepped onto the stage.
    • Lena was nervous, and she stepped onto the stage.
    • Although Lena was nervous, she stepped onto the stage.

  8. Which sentence type is this: 'The dog barked when the postman arrived, and the baby woke up.'?

    • Compound-complex
    • Compound
    • Complex

  9. A student wrote: 'The storm cut the power, we lit candles.' Which revision makes this a correct compound sentence?

    • Because the storm cut the power, we lit candles.
    • The storm cut the power, we lit candles.
    • The storm cut the power; we lit candles.

  10. This passage uses the same long shape three times: 'Although the rain fell, the match went on. Because the crowd was loud, the players felt brave. When the final whistle blew, everyone cheered.' Which revision improves the flow?

    • Although the rain fell, the match went on, and because the crowd was loud, the players felt brave, and when the final whistle blew, everyone cheered.
    • Although the rain fell, the match went on. Because the crowd was loud, the players felt brave. When the final whistle blew, everyone cheered.
    • Although the rain fell, the match went on. The crowd was deafening. When the final whistle blew, everyone cheered.
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Four Ways to Build a Sentence W1-mt_T9IXrlxfx2-s1

  1. The wind blew all night. · The other two start with 'because' and 'when', which leave the thought hanging. Only 'The wind blew all night.' can stand alone.
  2. Complex · 'When the bell rang' cannot stand alone, so it leans on 'everyone hurried inside'. One dependent clause plus one independent clause makes a complex sentence.
  3. Because the library closed · 'Because the library closed' cannot stand alone, so it depends on the main clause 'we studied at Maya's house'.
  4. Compound · A semicolon can join two independent clauses, and that still counts as a compound sentence.
  5. Because it was raining, the game was cancelled. · 'Because' turns 'it was raining' into a dependent clause that explains the cause of the independent clause.
  6. Compound-complex · One dependent clause ('Although she was tired') plus two independent clauses makes this compound-complex.
  7. Although Lena was nervous, she stepped onto the stage. · 'Although' sets the two ideas against each other, which is what contrast means. 'So' shows cause instead, and 'and' shows no particular relationship.
  8. Compound-complex · 'When the postman arrived' is a dependent clause, and 'The dog barked' plus 'the baby woke up' are two independent clauses. A dependent clause does not have to come first.
  9. The storm cut the power; we lit candles. · A comma alone cannot join two complete thoughts. The semicolon fixes it and keeps both clauses independent, so the sentence stays compound. The 'because' option is good grammar, but it makes the sentence complex, not compound.
  10. Although the rain fell, the match went on. The crowd was deafening. When the final whistle blew, everyone cheered. · Swapping one long sentence for a short punchy one breaks the monotony. "Although the rain fell, the match went on, and because the crowd was loud, the players felt brave, and when the final whistle blew, everyone cheered" just glues all three into one overloaded sentence.
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