Sentence Structure with Examples | Open Gateway Tamil

Sentence Structure with Examples

What is Sentence Structure?

A sentence structure refers to how words, phrases, and clauses are organized to form meaningful sentences. Understanding sentence structures helps to improve your writing and speaking skills.

Types of Sentence Structures

English has four main sentence structures. Each structure is explained with examples:

Type	Explanation	Examples
1. Simple Sentence	A sentence with one independent clause (a subject and a predicate). Formula: Subject + Verb + Object/Complement	She reads books. The dog barked loudly. We went to the park.
2. Compound Sentence	A sentence with two or more independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet). Formula: Independent Clause + Conjunction + Independent Clause	I like coffee, and she likes tea. The sun set, but the sky remained bright. He worked hard, so he passed the test.
3. Complex Sentence	A sentence with one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses connected by a subordinating conjunction (because, although, when, if). Formula: Independent Clause + Subordinating Conjunction + Dependent Clause	Although he was tired, he finished his homework. She stayed at home because it was raining. When the movie ended, we left the theater.
4. Compound-Complex Sentence	A sentence with at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. Formula: (Independent Clause + Conjunction + Independent Clause) + Dependent Clause	Although he was late, he joined the meeting, and he shared his ideas. We went to the beach, and we played volleyball while the sun was setting. She wanted to buy a car, but because she didn’t have enough money, she decided to wait.

Key Elements of Sentence Structure

Subject: The person or thing performing the action. Example: John runs.
Verb: The action or state. Example: John runs.
Object: The thing affected by the action. Example: John runs a race.
Complement: Adds information about the subject or object. Example: The sky is blue.
Modifiers: Words that add details (adjectives, adverbs). Example: She sings beautifully.