Sentence Types Worksheet | Sentence Structure Activity - Free Printable

Let's solve each sentence step by step, following the directions:

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Instructions Recap:

- Circle the predicates (verbs or verb phrases).
- Underline the subjects.
- Draw a line to separate clauses.
- Identify the sentence type: Simple, Compound, Complex, or Compound-Complex.

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We'll go through each sentence one by one.

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1. When I get home from school, I'm going to take a nap.

- Subjects:
- *I* (in "When I get...")
- *I* (in "I'm going...")
- Predicates:
- *get* (in "I get")
- *am going to take* (in "I'm going to take")
- Clause separation:
→ When I get home from school | I'm going to take a nap.
- Conjunctions: "When" is a subordinating conjunction.
- Sentence Type: Complex
→ One independent clause ("I'm going to take a nap") + one dependent clause ("When I get home from school").

✔ Answer: Complex

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2. I got in trouble so I can't go to the party, but it would have been fun.

- Subjects:
- *I* (first clause)
- *I* (second clause)
- *it* (third clause)
- Predicates:
- *got*
- *can't go*
- *would have been*
- Clause separation:
→ I got in trouble | so I can't go to the party, | but it would have been fun.
- Conjunctions:
- "so" = coordinating (but here it’s used as a subordinating-like connector; however, in this context, it joins two independent clauses — wait! Actually, "so" here is coordinating, and "but" is also coordinating.
- But note:
- "I got in trouble" (independent)
- "I can't go..." (independent)
- "it would have been fun" (independent)
→ Three independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions ("so" and "but")

Wait: "so" is often considered a coordinating conjunction in this usage (as per list). So:
- Two or more independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions → Compound Sentence?
But we have three clauses?

Let’s re-analyze:

Actually, “so” connects the first two clauses, and “but” connects the second and third. So:
- Clause 1: I got in trouble
- Clause 2: I can't go to the party
- Clause 3: it would have been fun

All are independent. Joined by coordinating conjunctions ("so" and "but").

So: Three independent clauses → Compound-Complex? No, because no subordinating conjunction.

Wait — "so" is coordinating, not subordinating. So three independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions → Compound? But compound sentences usually have two clauses.

Ah — the definition says:
> Compound Sentence: a sentence with two or more clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

So three or more independent clauses → still compound (since it uses coordinating conjunctions).

But wait — Compound-Complex requires three or more clauses joined by both coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

Here, only coordinating conjunctions: "so" and "but".

So this is a Compound Sentence with three independent clauses.

But actually, the standard term for multiple independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions is Compound.

So yes: Compound.

✔ Answer: Compound

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3. Being alone can be scary unless you keep yourself busy.

- Subject: *Being alone* (gerund phrase acting as subject)
- Predicate: *can be scary*
- Dependent clause: *unless you keep yourself busy*
- Subject: *you*
- Predicate: *keep*
- Subordinating conjunction: *unless*
- Clause separation:
→ Being alone can be scary | unless you keep yourself busy.
- One independent clause, one dependent clause → Complex

✔ Answer: Complex

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4. Mr. Morton, the best reading teacher in the world, taught me sentence structure.

- Subject: *Mr. Morton*
- Predicate: *taught*
- No other clauses — just one independent clause
- No conjunctions
- Simple sentence

✔ Answer: Simple

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5. Keith, Carrie, and Kyle bought donuts and ate them down by the river.

- Subject: *Keith, Carrie, and Kyle* (compound subject)
- Predicates: *bought* and *ate* (joined by "and")
- This is one independent clause with a compound predicate.
- No subordinate clauses
- Simple sentence

✔ Answer: Simple

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6. I left early so that I could get some work done, but I'll be back soon.

- Independent clauses:
1. I left early
2. I could get some work done → dependent (because of "so that")
3. I'll be back soon
- Wait: "so that" is a subordinating conjunction → introduces a dependent clause.
- So:
- "I left early" → independent
- "so that I could get some work done" → dependent (adverbial clause)
- "but I'll be back soon" → independent
- So: two independent clauses ("I left early" and "I'll be back soon"), joined by but (coordinating), and one dependent clause ("so that...") attached to first.

→ So: Two independent clauses + one dependent clause → Compound-Complex

✔ Answer: Compound-Complex

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7. Crossing the street is dangerous if you don't look both ways before you cross.

- Main clause: *Crossing the street is dangerous*
- Subject: *Crossing the street*
- Predicate: *is dangerous*
- Dependent clause: *if you don't look both ways before you cross*
- Subordinating conjunction: *if*
- Nested: *before you cross* → another dependent clause (with "before")
- So: one independent clause + two dependent clauses → Complex

✔ Answer: Complex

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8. If you don't want to study, you should stay home, but you may regret it.

- Clauses:
1. *If you don't want to study* → dependent (subordinating conjunction "if")
2. *you should stay home* → independent
3. *you may regret it* → independent
- Joined by "but" (coordinating conjunction)
- So: One dependent + two independent clauses
- Uses both subordinating ("if") and coordinating ("but") conjunctions
- Three clauses → Compound-Complex

✔ Answer: Compound-Complex

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9. Every time I go to mall, I spend all of my money on things that I don't need.

- "Every time I go to mall" → dependent clause (subordinating conjunction "every time")
- "I spend all of my money..." → independent
- "that I don't need" → relative clause modifying "things", introduced by "that" → dependent clause
- So:
- Independent: "I spend..."
- Dependent: "Every time I go..."
- Dependent: "that I don't need"
- Two dependent clauses + one independent → Complex

✔ Answer: Complex

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10. Mom said that I can go to the museum with you but I have to be home early.

- Main clause: *Mom said* → subject: *Mom*, predicate: *said*
- But what about the rest?
- "that I can go..." → noun clause (object of "said")
- "but I have to be home early" → another clause

Wait — is this one clause or two?

Actually: "Mom said [that I can go...] but [I have to be home early]"

But "but" is connecting two clauses after "said"?

No — "Mom said" is the main clause.

Then: "that I can go to the museum with you" → object clause
"but I have to be home early" → another independent clause?

Wait — this is ambiguous.

But grammatically, "but I have to be home early" is not part of the reported speech.

It's likely meant to be:
→ Mom said that I can go to the museum with you, but I have to be home early.

So: two independent clauses:
1. Mom said that I can go...
2. I have to be home early

Connected by "but" — coordinating conjunction.

But is "that I can go..." a dependent clause?

Yes — it's a noun clause, embedded in the first clause.

So:
- Clause 1: Mom said that I can go... → independent (with embedded noun clause)
- Clause 2: I have to be home early → independent
- Connected by "but" → coordinating

So: Two independent clauses → Compound

But wait: does "that I can go..." count as a clause within the first?

Yes, but it's dependent — it's the object of "said".

So:
- "Mom said that I can go..." → one independent clause (main clause) with a noun clause
- "but I have to be home early" → another independent clause

So: two independent clauses joined by "but" → Compound

✔ Answer: Compound

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11. Modern Warfare is a fun game but no game is better than Ms. Pac-Man.

- Two independent clauses:
1. Modern Warfare is a fun game
2. no game is better than Ms. Pac-Man
- Joined by "but" → coordinating conjunction
- Compound sentence

✔ Answer: Compound

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12. Todd and Nick are eating chips and salsa on a park bench before dinner.

- Subject: *Todd and Nick*
- Predicate: *are eating*
- "before dinner" → prepositional phrase, not a clause
- No subordinate clause
- One independent clause → Simple

✔ Answer: Simple

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✔ Final Answers:

| # | Sentence Type |
|---|----------------|
| 1 | Complex |
| 2 | Compound |
| 3 | Complex |
| 4 | Simple |
| 5 | Simple |
| 6 | Compound-Complex |
| 7 | Complex |
| 8 | Compound-Complex |
| 9 | Complex |
| 10 | Compound |
| 11 | Compound |
| 12 | Simple |

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✔ Try it Yourself (Example Answers):

Write two of each:

#### Simple Sentences:
1. The sun rises every morning.
- Underline: *The sun*
- Circle: *rises*

2. She reads books daily.
- Underline: *She*
- Circle: *reads*

#### Compound Sentences:
1. I like coffee, but I prefer tea.
- Underline: *I*, *I*
- Circle: *like*, *prefer*
- Line: I like coffee | but I prefer tea

2. He studied hard, and he passed the test.
- Underline: *He*, *he*
- Circle: *studied*, *passed*
- Line: He studied hard | and he passed the test

#### Complex Sentences:
1. Although it was raining, we went outside.
- Underline: *it*, *we*
- Circle: *was raining*, *went*
- Line: Although it was raining | we went outside

2. She will call you when she arrives.
- Underline: *She*, *she*
- Circle: *will call*, *arrives*
- Line: She will call you | when she arrives

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