Forty days later, in accordance with Jewish law, they presented Jesus at the Temple in J erusalem. Is this a simple or compound sentence?

Question

A. Forty days later, in accordance with Jewish law, they presented Jesus at the Temple in J erusalem. Is this a simple or compound sentence?

B. Before they left, however, an angel appeared to Joseph at night in a dream. Is the subordinate conjunction Before or at?

C. The Holy Family settled in Nazareth, where, according to the Gospel of St. Luke, the Child grew in wisdom and in grace. Is the dependent clause B. according to the Gospel of St. Luke, C. where the Child grew in wisdom and in grace.

D. Wow! In western Africa, north of the Niger River. What type of sentence is this? B. imperative, C. fragment

E.  After your baseball practice, please help our brother with his homework. What type of sentence is this interrogative, c. imperative

Answer 1

A) A compound sentence requires two independent clauses. That is, two clauses that each can stand all on their own. "Forty days later" nor "in accordance with Jewish law" does so, so this is a simple sentence.

 

B) "They left" could stand on its own, but "Before they left" cannot and needs to be connected to another clause. "In a dream" is a prepositional clause due to "in." That makes "before" our subordinate conjunction.

 

C) "according to the Gospel of St. Luke" is a phrase. There is no verb within it. "where the Child grew in wisdom and in grace" is a adjective clause thanks to the "where" in it. Remove that, and the clause can stand on it's own, making that your dependent clause.

 

D) There is no verb. Fragment.

 

E) A request is being made. Imperative.

(Interrogative has the derivative in interrogation, as in asking for information.)