Please help with this question

Question

 Read the paragraph and focus on the bold sentence. Then answer the questions that follow.

When I started college, I was ready for a change. My life in the years leading up to high school graduation had been busy, and I never went through my closet or organized my room. It was all too much. I decided to simplify my life. I gave away nearly everything I owned, and this is all that remains. Keeping only the things I absolutely needed, I started over with the bare essentials, and I discovered that most of the stuff I owned was just weighing me down. I never used it, and it was no longer valuable to me. Now I can think more clearly. There is more free space in my room, and I’m looking toward the future.

What kind of sentence is this?

Complex

Simple

Compound

Why is the bold sentence an example of good writing in this situation?

It is the only sentence that is grammatically correct

It follows two simple sentences, so it creates variety and avoids repetition

It is the most complex idea in the entire paragraph

Directions: Review the following line from the passage a second time. Then answer the question that follows.

Keeping only the things I absolutely needed, I started over with the bare essentials, and I discovered that most of the stuff I owned was just weighing me down.

What kind of sentence is this?

Complex

Compound-complex

Simple

Answer 1

A compound sentence has two independent clauses. These may be joined by a conjunction.

A complex sentence has a dependent clause and an independent clause.

A compound-complex sentence has a dependent clause and two or more independent clauses.

An independent clause can stand on its own. A dependent clause does not finish the thought and needs to be connected to an independent clause to make a sentence.

I am happy to provide some more help with this concept if you need it.

Answer 2

Hi Jessica!

This question is asking three things: first, to identify what kind of sentence the one in bold is; second, to determine why the bolded sentence is an example of good writing, based on what you have been learning about sentence types and variety; and third, using your understanding of the four different sentence types, to identify what type of sentence the additional example is.

To help you figure this out, think about the unique characteristics of each type of sentence. What makes a "complex" sentence? What about a "compound" sentence? How do those types of sentences differ from a "simple" sentence? The fourth type of sentence is "compound-complex"; what are the characteristics of this type of sentence?

After reviewing the unique characteristics of each sentence type, look at the two sentence examples in the passage to see which characteristics they possess.

I hope this helps, but please let me know if you have additional questions!

In peace,

Corey