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SENTENCES : SIMPLE, COMPOUND, AND COMPLEX

Simple sentence
A Simple sentence is one which has only one Subject and one
Predicate.

Example:- His courage won him honour.

He must work very hard to win the first prize.
With a great effort, he lifted the box.
Hearing their father's footsteps, the boys ran away.
The man, being very hungry, ate too much.

Compound sentence
A Compound sentence is one made up of two or more Principal or
Main Clauses.

Example:- The moon was bright and we could see our way.
Night came on and rain fell heavily and we all got very wet.
I shall do it now or I shall not do it at all.
He threw the stone but it missed the dog.
I both thanked him and rewarded him.
You must hurry, or you will miss the train.
Give me the book and I will read it.
I ran all the way to the station but I missed the train.

Complex Sentence
A Complex sentence consists of one Main Clause and one or more
Subordinate Clauses.

Example:- They rested when evening came.

If he is at home, I shall see him.
I have found the book that I had lost.

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We selected this bicycle after we had tried several times.

Once upon a time a man owned a hen which laid every day a golden egg.
The evil that men do lives after them.

A) State which of the following sentences are Compound, and which are Complex.
1. Man proposes, but God disposes.Compound
2. I went because I was invited.Complex
3. Jancy returned home because she was tired. Complex
4. Whatever you do, do well. Complex
5. Listen carefully and take notes. Compound
6. I called him, but he gave me no answer.Compound
7. The town in which I live is very large. Complex
8. They always talk who never think. Complex
9. We must eat to live, but we should not live to eat.Compound
10. Govern your passions or they will govern you. Compound

Language Check Point

S.No. Incorrect correct reason

Each is used in speaking of two

Every of the two
Each of the two boys will or more things, every is used
1 boys will get a
get a prize. only in speaking of more than
prize.
two.

When there is only one auxiliary

Ten candidates
Ten candidates have to two principal Verbs it should
2 have passed one
passed one has failed. be correctly associated with the
failed.
both.

To express quantity or degree

Have you bought Have you bought any some is used in affirmative
3
some mangoes? mangoes? sentences, any in negative or
interrogative sentences.

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SIMPLE, COMPLEX AND COMPOUND

Let us recall some important points that we learnt in the previous unit.
G
 erunds, Infinitives and Participles are Non Finite Verbs.
P
 hrase is a group of words which does not contain a Finite Verb.
C
 lause is a group of words which has a Finite Verb.
F
 inite Verbs indicate the tense and time of actions.
N
 on Finite Verbs do not indicate tense and time of actions.
Now, let us study about the three different kinds of sentences.
1. Simple 2. Complex 3. Compound

A
 Simple sentence consists of only one Finite Verb.
 A Complex sentence has one Main Clause and one or more Subordinate Clauses.
 A Compound sentence has two Main Clauses combined by a Coordinating
Conjunction.

SIMPLE SENTENCE
Examples COMPLEX SENTENCE
1. Ramu is too poor to buy a bicycle. Examples
2. D
 espite his old age, Raghav 1. R
 amu is so poor that he cannot buy a
walked fast. bicycle.
3. I n the event of not consulting a doctor, 2. T
 hough Raghav was old, he walked fast
you cannot recover.
3. U
 nless you consult a doctor, you
4. O
 n seeing the teacher, the children cannot recover.
stood up.
4. As soon as the children saw the
5. D
 ue to a heavy downpour, the match teacher, they stood up
was cancelled.
5. A
 s there was a heavy downpour, the
match was cancelled.

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8. He confessed that he was guilty. (into

Simple)
COMPOUND SENTENCE
9. The boy could not attend the special
Examples classes due to his mother’s illness.
1. R
 amu is very poor and he cannot buy a (into Compound)
bicycle. 10. 
He followed my suggestion. (into
2. R
 aghav was old yet he walked fast. Complex)

3. Y
 ou consult a doctor otherwise you B. C ombine the pairs of sentences below
cannot recover. into simple, complex and compound
4. T
 he children saw the teacher and they 1. Radha was ill. She was not hospitalised
stood up. 2. 
The students were intelligent. They
5. T
 here was a heavy downpour and the could answer the questions correctly.
match was cancelled. 3. I must get a visa. I can travel abroad
(In the above sentences, the words 4. I saw a tiger. It was wounded
highlighted are conjunctions) 5. 
There was a bandh. The shops
remained closed

A. Transform the following sentences as

instructed.
1. On seeing the teacher, the children
stood up. (into Complex)
2. 
At the age of six, Varsha started
learning music. (into Complex)
3. As Varun is a voracious reader, he
buys a lot of books. (into Simple)
4. Walk carefully lest you will fall down.
(into Complex)
5. Besides being a dancer, she is a singer.
(into Compound)
6. He is sick but he attends the rehearsal.
(into Simple)
7. If Meena reads more, she will become
proficient in the language. (into
Compound)

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Grammar:

A. Transform the following sentences as instructed.

Question 1.
On seeing the teacher, the children stood up. (into Complex)
Answer:
When /As soon as the children saw the teacher, they stood up.

Question 2.
At the age of six, Varsha started learning music (into Complex)
Answer:
Varsha started learning music when she was six years old.

Question 3.
As Varun is a voracious reader, he buys a lot of books (into Simple)
Answer:
Being a voracious reader, Varun buys a lot of books.

Question 4.
Walk carefully lest you will fall down. (into Complex)
Answer:
Unless you walk carefully, you will tall down

Question 5.
Besides being a dancer, she is a singer. (into Compound)
Answer:
She is not only a dancer but also a singer.

Question 6.
He is sick but he attends the rehearsal. (into Simple)
Answer:
In spite of his sickness, he attends the rehearsal.

Question 7.
If Meena reads more, she will become proficient in the language. (into Compound)
Answer:
Meena must read more otherwise she will not become proficient in the language.

Question 8.
He confessed that he was guilty. (into Simple)
Answer:
He confessed his guilt.

Question 9.
The boy could not attend the special passes due to his mother’s illness. (into
Compound)
Answer:
The boy’s mother was sick and so he could not attend the special classes.

Question 10.
He followed my suggestion. (into Complex)
Answer:
He followed what I suggested.

B. Combine the pairs of sentences below into simple, complex, and compound.

1. Radha was ill. She was not hospitalised.

Simple: Inspite of being ill, Radha was not hospitalised.
Complex: Though Radha was ill, she was not hospitalised.
Compound: Radha was ill but she was not hospitalised.

2. The students were intelligent. They could answer the questions correctly.
Simple: The intelligent students could answer the questions correctly
Simple: The students being intelligent, they could answer the questions correctly.
Compound: The students were intelligent and so they could answer the questions
correctly.
Complex: As the students were intelligent, they could answer the questions correctly.

3. I must get a visa. I can travel abroad

Simple: I must get a visa to travel abroad.
Complex: If I get a visa, I can travel abroad.
Compound: I must get a visa and then only I can travel abroad.

4. I saw a tiger. It was wounded.

Simple: I saw a wounded tiger.
Complex: I saw a tiger which was wounded.
Compound: I saw a tiger and it was wounded.

5. There was a bandh. The shops remained closed.

Simple: The shops remained closed due to bandh.
Complex: Since there was a bandh, the shops remained closed.
Compound: There was a bandh and so the shops remained closed.