Educational worksheet for identifying simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Let’s go through each sentence one by one. We’ll figure out if it’s Simple, Compound, or Complex.

Remember:
- A simple sentence has just one main idea (one subject and verb, or a compound subject/verb but still one clause).
- A compound sentence has two complete sentences joined together — usually with a comma + FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).
- A complex sentence has one main idea and one extra idea that can’t stand alone (starts with words like “when,” “because,” “even though,” etc.).

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1. *I was bewildered when I couldn't find my keys.*
→ “when I couldn’t find my keys” is an extra idea (can’t stand alone). So this is Complex.

2. *My friend went on one of her political tirades, and everyone left the room.*
→ Two full ideas joined by “and”. That’s a FANBOYS word. So this is Compound → conjunction: and

3. *It was crucial for her to make a report because the people were way out of control.*
→ “because...” starts an extra idea. So this is Complex.

4. *He couldn't suppress his tears after the breakup.*
→ “after the breakup” is not a full sentence — it’s just a phrase. The whole thing is one main idea. So this is Simple.

5. *His dubious lies fooled me, and it totally blew my mind.*
→ Two full ideas joined by “and”. So this is Compound → conjunction: and

6. *The park was deserted and desolate after the police showed up.*
→ “deserted and desolate” are just two adjectives describing the park — still one main idea. “After the police showed up” is a phrase, not a full clause here? Wait — actually, “after the police showed up” IS a dependent clause (subject + verb), so this makes it Complex? Let’s check:
Main clause: “The park was deserted and desolate”
Dependent clause: “after the police showed up” → yes, that’s a time clause. So this is Complex.

Wait — hold on! Some might argue “after the police showed up” is modifying the adjective, but grammatically, it’s still a dependent clause attached to the main clause. So yes — Complex.

But let’s double-check: Is there a second independent clause? No. Only one subject (“the park”) and one main verb (“was”). The rest is description or dependent info. So actually — maybe Simple? Hmm.

Actually, no — “after the police showed up” is a subordinate clause (it has its own subject “police” and verb “showed”), so it makes the whole sentence Complex.

BUT — wait again! In some curriculums, if the dependent clause comes at the end and doesn’t change the core structure, they may still call it simple? No — standard grammar says: if you have one independent clause + one dependent clause = Complex.

So we’ll say Complex.

However — let’s look at common school-level teaching: sometimes “after the breakup” in #4 is considered a prepositional phrase, not a clause. Similarly, “after the police showed up” — “showed up” is a verb, so it’s a clause.

Yes — so #6 is Complex.

7. *The vigilant reporter was always on the lookout for the next story.*
→ One subject, one verb. No joining words, no extra clauses. Just one idea. So Simple.

8. *Even though I studied, I was apprehensive about the test.*
→ “Even though I studied” is a dependent clause. Main clause: “I was apprehensive...” → So Complex.

9. *Her eyes were perpetually rolled, and eventually they just stayed that way forever.*
→ Two full ideas: “Her eyes were...” and “they just stayed...” Joined by “and”. So Compound → conjunction: and

10. *Sometimes people are skeptical of my ideas even though I'm definitely a genius.*
→ “even though I’m definitely a genius” is a dependent clause. Main clause: “people are skeptical...” → So Complex.

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Now let’s list them clearly:

1. Complex
2. Compound → and
3. Complex
4. Simple
5. Compound → and
6. Complex
7. Simple
8. Complex
9. Compound → and
10. Complex

Wait — let’s recheck #6. Some teachers might consider “after the police showed up” as part of the predicate, making it still a simple sentence? Actually, no — because “after the police showed up” contains a subject (“police”) and a verb (“showed”), so it’s a dependent clause. Therefore, the sentence has one independent clause + one dependent clause → Complex.

But let’s compare to #4: “after the breakup” — “breakup” is a noun, no verb → prepositional phrase → Simple.

In #6: “after the police showed up” — “showed” is a verb → clause → Complex.

✔ Confirmed.

Final Answer:

1. Complex
2. Compound, and
3. Complex
4. Simple
5. Compound, and
6. Complex
7. Simple
8. Complex
9. Compound, and
10. Complex