Grade 3 worksheet on identifying simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Let’s go through each sentence one by one and decide if it’s simple, compound, or complex.

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What do these words mean?

- Simple sentence: One complete thought. It has a subject and a verb, and that’s it — no extra clauses joined with words like “and,” “but,” “because,” etc.

Example: *The cat slept.*

- Compound sentence: Two simple sentences joined together with a comma + conjunction (like *and*, *but*, *or*) OR just a semicolon.

Example: *I wanted to play, but it rained.*

- Complex sentence: One main idea + one dependent clause (a part that can’t stand alone). Often starts with words like *after*, *before*, *when*, *because*, *although*, etc.

Example: *After I ate dinner, I watched TV.*

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Now let’s look at each sentence:

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1. The children wore their dirty boots.

→ Only one subject (“children”) and one verb (“wore”). No joining words.
✔ Simple

*(Already marked correct in the worksheet!)*

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2. It was time for bed, yet it was still light outside.

→ Two parts: “It was time for bed” AND “it was still light outside.” Joined by “yet” (which works like “but”).
✔ Compound

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3. The front door was locked, so she entered through the back.

→ Two parts: “The front door was locked” AND “she entered through the back.” Joined by “so”.
✔ Compound

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4. They took a lot of pictures when they visited Montana.

→ Main part: “They took a lot of pictures”
Dependent part: “when they visited Montana” → This can’t stand alone. Starts with “when”.
✔ Complex

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5. After the show began, he sat very quietly.

→ Dependent part first: “After the show began”
Main part: “he sat very quietly”
Starts with “After” → signals complex.
✔ Complex

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6. The girl was wearing a red dress.

→ One subject (“girl”), one verb (“was wearing”). Nothing else.
✔ Simple

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7. He was playing on his computer.

→ One subject (“He”), one verb (“was playing”). Simple action.
✔ Simple

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8. Georges would like to play, for he is the best player on the team.

→ Two parts: “Georges would like to play” AND “he is the best player...”
Joined by “for” (which means “because” here) → compound conjunction.
✔ Compound

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9. Before the bell rings, the student lined up at the door.

→ Dependent part: “Before the bell rings”
Main part: “the student lined up...”
Starts with “Before” → complex.
✔ Complex

*(Note: There’s a tense mismatch — “rings” vs “lined” — but we’re only classifying structure, not grammar correctness.)*

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10. We turned off the lights.

→ One subject (“We”), one verb (“turned off”). Done.
✔ Simple

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11. We turned off the lights, and we went to sleep.

→ Two parts: “We turned off the lights” AND “we went to sleep.”
Joined by “and” → compound.
✔ Compound

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12. We turned off the lights after our mom told us to go to sleep.

→ Main part: “We turned off the lights”
Dependent part: “after our mom told us...” → starts with “after”, can’t stand alone.
✔ Complex

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## Final Answer:

Here’s the completed table:

| Sentences | simple | compound | complex |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|----------|---------|
| 1. The children wore their dirty boots. | ✔ | | |
| 2. It was time for bed, yet it was still light outside. | | ✔ | |
| 3. The front door was locked, so she entered through the back. | | ✔ | |
| 4. They took a lot of pictures when they visited Montana. | | | ✔ |
| 5. After the show began, he sat very quietly. | | | ✔ |
| 6. The girl was wearing a red dress. | ✔ | | |
| 7. He was playing on his computer. | ✔ | | |
| 8. Georges would like to play, for he is the best player on the team. | | ✔ | |
| 9. Before the bell rings, the student lined up at the door. | | | ✔ |
| 10. We turned off the lights. | ✔ | | |
| 11. We turned off the lights, and we went to sleep. | | ✔ | |
| 12. We turned off the lights after our mom told us to go to sleep. | | | ✔ |