Let’s go through each sentence one by one and figure out if it’s simple, compound, or complex.
First, let’s remember what each type means:
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Simple sentence: One complete thought (one subject + one verb). It can have extra words like adjectives or phrases, but only one main clause.
-
Compound sentence: Two or more simple sentences joined together with a word like “and”, “but”, “so”, etc. Each part could stand alone as its own sentence.
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Complex sentence: Has one main clause and at least one dependent clause (a clause that can’t stand alone — often starts with words like “because”, “when”, “until”, “although”, etc.).
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1. The museum was closed, so we went to the zoo instead.
→ This has two parts:
“ The museum was closed” → can stand alone.
“we went to the zoo instead” → can also stand alone.
They’re joined by “so” → which is a coordinating conjunction.
✔ So this is a
compound sentence.
Answer:
B. Compound
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2. Andy made extra money mowing lawns.
→ Only one subject (“Andy”) and one main verb (“made”).
“mowing lawns” is just describing how he made the money — not a separate clause.
✔ So this is a
simple sentence.
Answer:
A. Simple
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3. The brown dog with the red collar chased the ball.
→ One subject (“dog”), one verb (“chased”).
“The brown” and “with the red collar” are just descriptions — they don’t make new clauses.
✔ So this is a
simple sentence.
Answer:
A. Simple
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4. Because there was a hurricane, we had to cancel our trip to the beach.
→ Starts with “Because...” → that’s a dependent clause (can’t stand alone).
Then “we had to cancel...” → independent clause.
One dependent + one independent =
complex sentence.
Answer:
B. Complex
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5. The girl scouts didn’t know what to do when they got lost in the woods.
→ Let’s break it down:
Main part: “The girl scouts didn’t know what to do” → this is an independent clause.
But then: “when they got lost in the woods” → this is a dependent clause (starts with “when”).
So we have one independent + one dependent →
complex sentence.
Answer:
B. Complex
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6. Everything was going fine until somebody dropped the expensive glass vase.
→ Main part: “Everything was going fine” → independent clause.
“until somebody dropped...” → dependent clause (starts with “until”).
Again, one independent + one dependent →
complex sentence.
Answer:
C. Complex
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7. We can go to the aquarium and then get pizza.
→ Subject: “We”
Verbs: “can go” and “get” — both share the same subject.
This is still ONE idea: what “we” can do.
Even though there’s “and”, it’s connecting two verbs, not two full sentences.
So this is a
simple sentence.
Answer:
B. Simple
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Final Answers:
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. B
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of complex sentences worksheet 4th grade.
