What is the difference between a simple sentence a compound sentence and a complex sentence?

Answer 1

A simple sentence is one with a "minimal" word group and without extra phrases. In general, it will have a subject, a verb, and will express a complete idea or thought.

The boy ran to Baseball practice.

In that sentence, the subject is boy and the verbis ran. A simple sentence can be thought of as an independent clause.

A compound sentence might be thought of as one that can be broken into two simple sentences, or that contains two independent clauses.

The executive demonstrated superlative leadership skills, and management was excited hiring her on.

In this compound sentence, we could break it into two separate sentences like this:

The executive demonstrated superlative leadership skills. Management was excited hiring her on.

The subject and verb of the first sentence or clause are executive and demonstrated, and the in the second sentence or clause, they are management and excited. Not that the two clauses stand nicely (and correctly) on their own.

In a complex sentence, an independent clause (a clause that could stand on its own) and a dependent clause are linked to form the sentence.

The hikers elected to camp out on the edge of the meadow, although they could have continued on up the slope to the crest before dark.

The sentence contains an independent clause: The hikers elected to camp out on the edge of the meadow. Notice that it can be a complete sentence and can stand on its own. There is a dependent clause following it: although they could have continued on up the slope to the crest before dark. The two clauses, the independent and dependent clauses, are joined to form the complex sentence. The word although is a conjunction that manages the joining.

(Use the ESL link below and check out a brief and easy to read rundown of the three types of sentences.)