Sentence Structure
Thank goodness for sentences and sentence structure! Sentences are nice little packages of words that come together to express one complete thought. They make it easy to understand ideas and learn information. In order to be a complete sentence, a group of words needs to contain a subject and a verb, and it needs to express a complete thought. If a group of words is missing any of that information, it is called a sentence fragment. If you have a group of words that contains two or more independent clauses that are not properly punctuated, it is called a run-on sentence.
The Four Sentence Structures1. A simple sentence has only one independent clause. I drink coffee.An independent clause is a group of words (with a subject and a verb) that expresses a complete thought.
2. A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. These clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. I eat oatmeal, and Tim eats doughnuts.
3. A complex sentence has a subordinate clause joined to an independent clause with a subordinating conjunction. I washed the dishes after I ate my oatmeal.A subordinate clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that cannot stand alone. 
4. A compound-complex sentence has a two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. Rachael Ray explained how cookies are made, and we practiced her techniques at home. | 
