A simple sentence is a single independent clause with a subject and predicate. Simple sentences convey a complete thought, but they do not contain any dependent clauses (also known as subordinate clauses).
Simple sentence examplesJuliet waited on her balcony.
Restrictive clauses are a type of relative clause (or adjective clause) that gives essential, identifying information about a noun or pronoun. Restrictive clauses typically begin with the relative pronouns “that,” “who,” “whom,” or “whose.”
Restrictive clauses (also called essential clauses) cannot be removed from a sentence without changing its meaning or making the meaning unclear.
Restrictive clause examplesI want the phone that has the best camera.
The woman who is leading the meeting is my boss.
The person whose wallet this is must be looking for it.
I can’t find the man whom I gave my coat to.
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Nonrestrictive clauses are a type of adjective clause (or relative clause) that gives nonessential, extra information about a noun or noun phrase. Nonrestrictive clauses begin with a relative pronoun (e.g., “which,” “who,” “whom,” or “whose”) and are set off from the sentence by commas.
Nonrestrictive clauses (also called nonessential clauses) can be removed from a sentence without changing its meaning.
Nonrestrictive clauses in sentences examplesKelsey is attending Gonzaga University, which is in Washington.
My brother, who is two years younger than me, is graduating from high school.
Our next-door neighbors, whose yard is always overgrown, are out of town.
Amal’s nephew, whom he babysits frequently, is coming over today.
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A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is separated from what it is intended to modify in a sentence. Misplaced modifiers can create ambiguity or change the meaning of the sentence.
Misplaced modifier exampleThe children ran through the streets dressed in costumes.
In the example above, the modifier “dressed in costumes” modifies the noun “the streets.” This implies that the streets are wearing costumes rather than the children.
To fix this mistake, the modifier needs to be moved next to the words it modifies: “the children.”
Corrected modifier examplesDressed in costumes, the children ran through the streets.
The children, dressed in costumes, ran through the streets.
A compound subject is more than one noun or pronoun joined by a conjunction that functions as the subject of a sentence or clause (e.g., “my sister and I”).
Like all subjects, a compound subject either performs the action described by the verb in the predicate (e.g., “Sarah and Alana walk”) or is described by the predicate (e.g., “Trevor and Cara are tall”).
A sentence fragment is a piece of writing that looks like a sentence but is technically a grammatical mistake. This is normally because it is missing a subject or a verb.
Sentence fragments can usually be spotted quite easily because they do not express a single thought. They always lack a piece of information that is key to understanding the meaning.
Sentence fragment examples
My lucky day.
Since it was their turn.
The green, green grass of home.
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Published on
May 15, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
October 30, 2024.
A coordinating conjunction is a type of conjunction used to connect two words, phrases or clauses that are grammatically equal. There are seven coordinating conjunctions in the English language. You can remember these using the mnemonic FANBOYS: “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so.”
These words can have other functions, but “and,” “but,” and “or” are mainly used as coordinating conjunctions.
Coordinating conjunctions indicate the relationship between the elements they connect, such as addition (“and”), contrast (“but”), choice (“or”), and result (“so”).
Knowing about coordinating conjunctions helps us to use commas correctly.
Coordinating conjunction examplesHe doesn’t like fish and chips.
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that are used to show the relationship between two words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., “both rain and snow”).
Correlative conjunctions join two grammatically equal parts of a sentence (i.e., two words, phrases, or clauses).
Correlative conjunction examplesTobin will compete in both swimming and biking.
You can either go to the store with me or stay home.
Neither snow nor rain will ruin our fun.
Sophie is not only a great student but also a star athlete.
