A complex sentence is one containing an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

A compound sentence is one containing two or more independent clauses.

A clause is a part of a sentence containing a subject and a predicate.

Exercise 1

In the following sentences the simple subject and the simple predicate are printed in italics. Find all of the modifiers of the subject and all of the modifiers of the predicate, and draw a single line under the complete subject and two lines under the complete predicate.

  1. Beautiful pictures hang on the wall.
  2. Those elm trees grow rapidly every year.
  3. A terrible storm broke unexpectedly at sea.
  4. The clear, crystal water runs swiftly to the sea.
  5. The beautiful flowers fade quickly in the heat.
  6. The happy, boisterous children play at school every day.
  7. The sturdy oak in the forest stands bravely through every storm.
  8. Their arching tops almost speak to us.
  9. A cry of joy rings through the land.
  10. The leaves of the trees flutter in the wind.
  11. Great clouds of smoke float in the air.

Exercise 2

Note carefully the following simple sentences. Each of these groups of two words will suggest ideas and pictures to you. Lengthen each sentence by adding modifiers to the simple subject and to the simple predicate so as to make a fuller and more definite statement. For example: Ships sail. This is a simple subject and simple predicate. We add adjectives and an adjective phrase and adverbs and an adverb phrase as modifiers and we have, as follows: