Worksheet designed to teach students how to identify simple, compound, and complex sentences, with examples and space for answers.

Explanation:
We need to decide whether each sentence is simple, compound, or complex.

Let’s review the definitions quickly:

- Simple sentence: One independent clause (one subject + one predicate). No commas or conjunctions joining clauses.
- Compound sentence: Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet, for, nor) or a semicolon.
- Complex sentence: One independent clause + at least one dependent (subordinate) clause. Dependent clauses start with subordinating conjunctions like *before*, *after*, *because*, *since*, *although*, *if*, *when*, *while*, *as*, etc.

Now go through each sentence:

1. Before we ate, I washed my hands.
- “Before we ate” = dependent clause (starts with *before*).
- “I washed my hands” = independent clause.
→ Complex

2. Ben fished off the pier all morning.
- One subject (Ben), one verb (fished), no other clauses.
→ Simple

3. The boy who I like is in my first class.
- “The boy” = subject of main clause.
- “who I like” = dependent clause (relative clause, starts with *who*).
- “is in my first class” = main (independent) clause.
→ Complex

4. Dylan is a drummer, and Pete plays guitar.
- Two independent clauses:
• Dylan is a drummer
• Pete plays guitar
- Joined by *and*.
→ Compound

5. I will wait here until you finish your work.
- “until you finish your work” = dependent clause (starts with *until*).
- “I will wait here” = independent clause.
→ Complex

6. As I have nothing else to do, I’ll come too.
- “As I have nothing else to do” = dependent clause (*as* is a subordinating conjunction).
- “I’ll come too” = independent clause.
→ Complex

7. I washed my hands and ate a sandwich.
- One subject (*I*), two verbs (*washed*, *ate*) joined by *and* — this is a compound predicate, not compound sentence. Still only one independent clause.
→ Simple

8. Mark the errors with a red pen.
- Imperative sentence, one clause, no conjunctions or dependent parts.
→ Simple

9. Shannon has been avoiding chance since change can be scary.
- “since change can be scary” = dependent clause (*since* is subordinating).
- “Shannon has been avoiding chance” = independent clause.
→ Complex

Let’s double-check tricky ones:
- #7: “I washed my hands and ate a sandwich” — same subject, two verbs = simple sentence with compound verb. ✔
- #3: Relative clause “who I like” makes it complex. ✔
- #9: “since” introduces a dependent clause — yes, complex. ✔

Final classifications:
1. Complex
2. Simple
3. Complex
4. Compound
5. Complex
6. Complex
7. Simple
8. Simple
9. Complex

Final Answer:
1. Complex
2. Simple
3. Complex
4. Compound
5. Complex
6. Complex
7. Simple
8. Simple
9. Complex