Home > Subjects > English > English level 1 > 1.4 Creative writing > Subject content > Sentence structure
- Subject: English
- AS: 90052
- Level: 1
- Credits: 3
- External
1.4 Produce creative writing
Sentence structure
It is important to vary your sentence structure so your writing is not all the same and to select and combine sentence structures for effect. Using different types of sentences will help emphasise different words or ideas. Here are four types of sentences:
- Simple sentences have a subject, verb, and object.
For example:
The girl [subject] walked [verb] to the shop [object].
- Compound sentences have two simple sentences of equal importance, with the same subject. The sentences are usually linked by a conjunction ('and', 'so', 'therefore') or a semi colon (;).
Here are two simple sentences:
The girl [subject] walked [verb] to the shop [object].
The girl [subject] bought [verb] an ice-cream [object].
When these sentences are combined they form a compound sentence:
The girl walked to the shop and [conjunction] bought an ice-cream.
- Complex sentences consist of two simple sentences that are not of equal importance.
For example – two simple sentences:
The girl walked to the shop. The girl bought an ice-cream.
When these sentences are combined they form a complex sentence.
For example
Since the girl walked to the shop she bought an ice-cream.
[The first part of the sentence is more important than the second part of the sentence.]
- Run on sentences have at least two simple sentences about different subjects that have not been separated with any punctuation.
- Minor sentences are short and may not have a subject or a verb, yet they are still make sense. They can be effective when used correctly.
Sites to visit:
