Simple Compound And Complex Sentences Quiz

Reviewed by Juliette Firla
Juliette Firla, MA (Teaching Writing) |
English Teacher
Review Board Member
Juliette is a middle school English teacher at Sacred Heart of Greenwich, Connecticut. Juliette earned a BA in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Elon University and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. She holds a Classroom Teacher license from the Connecticut State Department of Education. Juliette possesses strong skills in English language arts, writing, editing, and literature study. She has a deep passion for working with young people and contributing to the education of America's youth in the classroom.
, MA (Teaching Writing)
By Jmweaver
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1. What type of a sentence is this: "Buying new footwear is my hobby."?

Explanation

The given sentence "Buying new footwear is my hobby" is a simple sentence because it consists of only one independent clause. It expresses a complete thought and does not contain any dependent clauses or conjunctions to connect multiple independent clauses.

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About This Quiz
Simple Compound And Complex Sentences Quiz - Quiz

The "Types of Sentences Quiz: Simple, Compound, Complex" is designed to test your understanding of sentence structures. In this quiz, you will learn to differentiate simple, compound, and... see morecomplex sentences. A simple sentence contains one independent clause, expressing a complete thought. A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions. A complex sentence, on the other hand, has at least one independent clause and one dependent clause, which relies on the independent clause for meaning.

By taking this quiz, you will gain a deeper understanding of how sentences are structured and how they function in communication. This knowledge will help improve your writing and comprehension skills, as identifying sentence types is crucial for creating clear and coherent written communication. It is essential for students to recognize these sentence types to enhance their academic writing and language proficiency. see less

2. Which of the following sentences is a compound-complex sentence?

Explanation

A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

"Although it was raining, they decided to go to the beach, but they brought umbrellas just in case."

Dependent clause: "Although it was raining" (begins with the subordinating conjunction "although")

Independent clauses: "they decided to go to the beach" and "they brought umbrellas just in case" (connected by the coordinating conjunction "but")

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3. What type of a sentence is this: "Rey waited for the train all night."

Explanation



The sentence "Rey waited for the train all night." is a simple sentence because it contains one independent clause expressing a complete thought. It has a subject ("Rey") and a predicate ("waited for the train all night"), making it a straightforward statement without additional clauses or conjunctions.
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4. Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?

Explanation

This sentence is classified as a compound sentence because it consists of two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction "but." Each clause has its own subject and verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence. The conjunction "but" creates a relationship of contrast between the two clauses, highlighting the different preferences of the siblings.

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5. What type of sentence is this: "The sun was shining brightly, and the birds were singing cheerfully."

Explanation

The sentence "The sun was shining brightly, and the birds were singing cheerfully" is a compound sentence because it joins two independent clauses with the coordinating conjunction "and." Each clause, "The sun was shining brightly" and "the birds were singing cheerfully," has its own subject and predicate, making them independent thoughts. The clauses could function as separate simple sentences but are joined here to create a compound sentence. There is no dependent clause, which distinguishes this from a complex or compound-complex sentence. The relationship between the clauses is additive, connecting two equally important actions.

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6. What type of a sentence is this: "I looked for Joe and Mary at the airport."

Explanation



This sentence is classified as a simple sentence because it contains only one independent clause. It has a single subject, "I," and a single verb, "looked." Although it expresses a complex action involving searching for two people at a specific location, it remains a simple sentence due to its single-clause structure.
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7. What type of a sentence is this: "John went to school today, but James remained at home."?

Explanation

The given sentence is a compound sentence because it consists of two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction "but." Each clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, with "John went to school today" and "James remained at home" expressing separate ideas.

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8. What type of a sentence is this: "I like tea, but Mary likes coffee."

Explanation

The given statement consists of two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction "but." Each clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, expressing a complete thought. Therefore, it is a compound sentence.

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9. What type of sentence is this: "As soon as the alarm rang, John jumped out of bed."

Explanation

The sentence "As soon as the alarm rang, John jumped out of bed" is a complex sentence because it contains one independent clause and one dependent clause. The independent clause, "John jumped out of bed," can stand alone as a complete thought, while the dependent clause, "As soon as the alarm rang," cannot. The dependent clause provides information about when the action occurred. The subordinating conjunction "As soon as" introduces the dependent clause, creating a cause-and-effect relationship that is a key feature of complex sentences. The clauses are not of equal importance, with one clarifying the other.

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10. What type of sentence is this: "After she finished her homework, Maria went to the park to play."

Explanation

"After she finished her homework, Maria went to the park to play" is a complex sentence because it consists of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The independent clause, "Maria went to the park to play," is a complete thought. The dependent clause, "After she finished her homework," cannot stand alone as a sentence. The subordinating conjunction "After" establishes the temporal relationship between the two actions. The independent clause holds the main information, while the dependent clause adds context by explaining the sequence of events. This cause-and-effect sequence is what characterizes a complex sentence.

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11. What type of a sentence is this: "Barbara and Joanne giggled all night."?

Explanation

The given sentence, "Barbara and Joanne giggled all night," is a simple sentence because it consists of only one independent clause. It does not contain any dependent clauses or coordinating conjunctions to join multiple independent clauses. The sentence expresses a complete thought with a subject ("Barbara and Joanne") and a predicate ("giggled all night").

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12. What type of a sentence is this: "Our vacation should be exciting, but it should also be restful."?

Explanation





The sentence "Our vacation should be exciting, but it should also be restful" is a compound sentence consisting of two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction "but." It expresses the desire for both excitement and relaxation during the vacation, emphasizing the need for a balance between the two experiences.
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13. Which of the following sentences is an example of a simple sentence?

Explanation



This is an example of a simple sentence because it contains only one independent clause. It has one subject, "Sarah," and one predicate, "enjoys reading books and watching movies," which includes a compound verb. A simple sentence can include compound elements (like verbs) but does not contain a dependent clause or more than one independent clause. The other sentences are compound or complex, containing multiple clauses.
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14. What type of sentence is this: "If you study hard, you will pass the exam, and you can celebrate later."

Explanation

"If you study hard, you will pass the exam, and you can celebrate later" is a compound-complex sentence because it includes two independent clauses and one dependent clause. The independent clauses, "you will pass the exam" and "you can celebrate later," are joined by the coordinating conjunction "and." The dependent clause, "If you study hard," is introduced by the subordinating conjunction "If" and explains the condition for passing the exam. The presence of both coordinating and subordinating conjunctions creates a layered structure, demonstrating both coordination between the independent clauses and subordination with the dependent clause.

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15. What type of a sentence is this: "Since we had only gone a mile from camp, we decided to return before dark."?

Explanation

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. In this sentence, the independent clause is “we decided to return before dark”, which can stand alone. The dependent clause is “Since we had only gone a mile from camp”, which provides context but cannot stand alone. The subordinating conjunction “since” links the two clauses. This structure clearly indicates a complex sentence, as it combines a complete idea with an explanatory one that depends on it.

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16. What type of a sentence is this: "After the tornado hit, my house was completely destroyed."?

Explanation

The given sentence is a complex sentence because it consists of two clauses, an independent clause "my house was completely destroyed" and a dependent clause "After the tornado hit." The dependent clause "After the tornado hit" provides additional information about when the action in the independent clause occurred.

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17. What type of a sentence is this: "After finding out that he bought a used shirt, he went to the store to return it."?

Explanation



A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause that are connected by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. In the sentence "After finding out that he bought a used shirt, he went to the store to return it," there is one independent clause and one dependent clause:

Independent Clause: "He went to the store to return it"

Dependent Clause: "After finding out that he bought a used shirt" (introduced by the subordinating conjunction "After")

The dependent clause provides additional context about why he went to the store, but it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
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18. Which of the following sentences is a simple sentence?

Explanation

A simple sentence has one independent clause and no dependent clauses. "The children played outside" is a simple sentence because it consists of a subject ("The children") and a predicate ("played outside") without any additional dependent clause. The other sentences are not simple: "Mary and John went to the store, but they forgot to buy milk" is compound, "The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow" is complex, and "Although it was raining, Sarah decided to go for a run" is also complex.
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19. What type of a sentence is this: "We decided to go fishing and camp out at the lake."?

Explanation





The sentence has one subject ("We") performing two actions ("decided to go fishing" and "camp out at the lake"), which means it has a compound predicate. Since there is only one independent clause with multiple verbs, it is a compound predicate sentence, which is a type of simple sentence.
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20. Identify the compound sentence from the options below:

Explanation

A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (such 1 as but, and, or, nor, for, so, yet). In this case, the sentences "The train arrived late, so I missed my appointment" and "Jane likes to play tennis, but she prefers swimming" have two independent clauses each. These clauses are joined by the coordinating conjunctions "so" and "but", respectively. Therefore, these sentences are compound sentences.  

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21. What type of a sentence is this: "Older television sets had tubes; the newest models, which take less space, are digital televisions."?

Explanation



The sentence "Older television sets had tubes; the newest models, which take less space, are digital televisions." is a compound-complex sentence.

Compound: The sentence has two independent clauses ("Older television sets had tubes" and "the newest models are digital televisions").

Complex: It also includes a dependent clause ("which take less space").

Thus, it qualifies as a compound-complex sentence.
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22. What type of a sentence is this: "She wanted to go to the store, but it was raining heavily."?

Explanation

A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (such 1 as but, and, or, nor, for, so, yet). In this case, the sentence has two independent clauses: "She wanted to go to the store" and "it was raining heavily." These clauses are joined by the coordinating conjunction "but." Therefore, the sentence is a compound sentence.  

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23. What type of a sentence is this: "The rain started as soon as they left home to attend a meeting."

Explanation

The given sentence is a complex sentence because it consists of an independent clause "The rain started" and a dependent clause "as soon as they left home to attend a meeting." In the sentence, the subordinating conjunction is "as soon as." It introduces the dependent clause and shows the relationship between the two clauses. The dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and relies on the independent clause for meaning.

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24. What type of sentence is this: "The teacher explained the topic, and the students took notes while listening carefully."

Explanation

"The teacher explained the topic, and the students took notes while listening carefully" is a compound-complex sentence because it has two independent clauses and one dependent clause. The independent clauses, "The teacher explained the topic" and "the students took notes," are connected by the coordinating conjunction "and." The dependent clause, "while listening carefully," adds additional information about how the students were taking notes. This combination of two independent clauses with a dependent clause provides both a coordinated structure and a subordinate explanation, typical of compound-complex sentences. The sentence demonstrates a relationship between simultaneous actions and additional detail.

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25. What type of a sentence is this: "I want to be a ballerina when I grow up."?

Explanation

A complex sentence consists of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The independent clause in this sentence is "I want to be a ballerina." The dependent clause is "when I grow up." The dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence because it does not express a complete thought.

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Juliette Firla |MA (Teaching Writing) |
English Teacher
Juliette is a middle school English teacher at Sacred Heart of Greenwich, Connecticut. Juliette earned a BA in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Elon University and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. She holds a Classroom Teacher license from the Connecticut State Department of Education. Juliette possesses strong skills in English language arts, writing, editing, and literature study. She has a deep passion for working with young people and contributing to the education of America's youth in the classroom.

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What type of a sentence is this: "Buying new footwear is my...
Which of the following sentences is a compound-complex sentence?
What type of a sentence is this: "Rey waited for the train all...
Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?
What type of sentence is this: "The sun was shining brightly, and the...
What type of a sentence is this: "I looked for Joe and Mary at...
What type of a sentence is this: "John went to school today, but...
What type of a sentence is this: "I like tea, but Mary likes...
What type of sentence is this: "As soon as the alarm rang, John jumped...
What type of sentence is this: "After she finished her homework,...
What type of a sentence is this: "Barbara and Joanne giggled all...
What type of a sentence is this: "Our vacation should be...
Which of the following sentences is an example of a simple sentence?
What type of sentence is this: "If you study hard, you will pass the...
What type of a sentence is this: "Since we had only gone a mile...
What type of a sentence is this: "After the tornado hit, my house...
What type of a sentence is this: "After finding out that he...
Which of the following sentences is a simple sentence?
What type of a sentence is this: "We decided to go fishing and...
Identify the compound sentence from the options below:
What type of a sentence is this: "Older television sets had...
What type of a sentence is this: "She wanted to go to the store,...
What type of a sentence is this: "The rain started as soon as...
What type of sentence is this: "The teacher explained the topic, and...
What type of a sentence is this: "I want to be a ballerina when I...
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