Help for English 2

Question

3) Identify the structure of each sentence. Choose simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex.

 Researchers are studying organic foods that may impact a person’s health.

 Organic foods are produced without man-made pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

 Often, organic food products are marketed as the healthier and safer food choice.

 There are skeptics who believe natural pesticides are as harmful as man-made pesticides.

 Organic foods are expensive, but the health benefits of eating organic foods may outweigh the expense since a person may eat less.

 Organic food sales have grown immensely over the last decade, and most traditional grocery stores now carry organic foods.

 Organic farming may be better for the environment; however, skeptics say that organic farming is not sustainable because it requires more land than traditional farming.

 Before the 20th century, all food was organic.

 Whether or not you choose to eat organic foods, you should maintain a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

 Buying fruits and vegetables in season, avoiding salty and sugary foods, and practicing moderation in eating can go a long way toward leading a healthy lifestyle.

Answer 1

• A simple sentence will contain just one independent clause (hint: can it act on its own as a sentence?). "She ran," is an independent clause because it has a subject and a verb.

• A compound sentence will contain two independent clauses joined with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so; remember using the acronym FANBOYS). For instance -- "She ran, so her dog ran too," is a compound sentence because each clause on either side of the ", so" contains a subject and a verb (she ran; her dog ran).

• A complex sentence will contain one independent clause and one dependent clause (hint: it CANNOT act on its own as a sentence). Dependent clauses are often identifiable by a subordinating conjunction (although, because, time words like when/after/before/during/until, interrogatives like who/when/where/how). For instance -- "She ran because it started to rain," is a complex sentence due to the introduction of the second clause with the word "because," which is a subordinating conjunction and cannot stand on its own as a sentence. Try saying it in your head: "because it started to rain." Your brain should be asking you for more because it wants you to finish the sentence; that is, provide an independent clause.

• A compound-complex sentence will contain at least two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (compound) and one dependent clause joined by a subordinating conjunction (complex). Since you already know what each of these should look like, let's just put it all together: "She ran because it started to rain, and her dog ran too." This is a compound-complex sentence because it contains: 1st independent clause (she ran) + 1 dependent clause (because it started to rain) + 2nd independent clause (, and her dog ran too). Notice also how the dependent clause is joined using the word "because" (subordinating conjunction) while the 2nd independent clause is joined using the word "and" (coordinating conjunction; FANBOYS).