Sentences may be classified into four types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. Knowing these patterns will help you vary your writing. Understanding how sentences are formed also aids you in punctuating correctly.

Good writers vary their sentences, using all the preceding forms.

Simple sentences present facts clearly and forcefully. Compound sentences enable the writer to join two closely related thoughts. Complex sentences subordinate one less important idea (in the dependent clause) to a more important idea (in the independent clause). Compound-complex sentences express two or more main ideas and a subordinated thought. Since compound-complex sentences tend to become long and complicated, they should be used sparingly in business writing.

TYPES OF SENTENCES

Sentence

Minimum Requirements

Simple

One independent clause

Compound

Two independent clauses

Complex

One independent clause and one dependent clause

Compound-Complex

Two independent clauses and one dependent clause

Examples

Simple Sentence

Sales representatives are scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon.

Compound Sentence

Sales representatives are scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon, and we will discuss a new bonus plan.

Complex Sentence

When we meet Tuesday, we will discuss a new bonus plan.

Compound-Complex Sentence

We will discuss a new bonus plan when we meet Tuesday; however, we are still formulating the details of that plan.