Sentence Structure

Overview

Sentence structure refers to how words are organized to create complete, grammatically correct sentences. Understanding sentence structure helps writers create clear, effective communication.

Usage

Basic Sentence Types

• Simple: One independent clause
• Compound: Two or more independent clauses
• Complex: One independent clause + dependent clause
• Compound-Complex: Multiple independent + dependent clauses

Key Components

• Subject: Who or what the sentence is about
• Verb: Action or state of being
• Object: Receives the action
• Modifiers: Adjectives, adverbs, phrases

Examples

Simple Sentence

The student writes essays.

Compound Sentence

The student writes essays, and the teacher grades them.

Complex Sentence

When the student writes essays, the teacher grades them carefully.

History

Sentence structure analysis began with ancient Greek grammarians. Modern structural linguistics developed in the early 20th century, with Noam Chomsky's transformational grammar theory (1957) revolutionizing our understanding of sentence construction patterns.