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.
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  • 1/25 Questions

    What type of a sentence is this: "Buying new footwear is my hobby."?

    • Simple Sentence 
    • Complex Sentence
    • Compound-Complex Sentence
    • Compound Sentence 
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About This 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 complex 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.

Simple Compound And Complex Sentences Quiz - Quiz

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  • 2. 

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

    • Simple sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Compound-complex sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Simple sentence
    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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  • 3. 

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

    • She cooked dinner while he set the table.

    • I finished my homework before going to bed.

    • She was crying because she fell down. 

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

    Correct Answer
    A. Although it was raining, they decided to go to the beach, but they brought umbrellas just in case.
    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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  • 4. 

    Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?

    • After dinner, we went for a walk. 

    • She likes to read books, but her brother prefers watching movies. 

    • Because it was raining, we stayed inside. 

    • The dog barked loudly.

    Correct Answer
    A. She likes to read books, but her brother prefers watching movies. 
    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."

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound-Complex sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Compound sentence
    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."

    • Simple sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Simple sentence
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Compound-Complex sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Compound sentence
    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."

    • Simple sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Compound sentence
    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."

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound-Complex sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Complex sentence
    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."

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound-Complex sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Complex sentence
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound Sentence

    • Complex Sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Simple sentence
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound Sentence

    • Complex Sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Compound Sentence
    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?

    • She went to the store, bought some groceries and then went for a walk.

    • Although it was raining, they decided to go for a walk.

    • The cat sat on the mat while the dog barked outside.

    • Sarah enjoys reading books and watching movies.

    Correct Answer
    A. Sarah enjoys reading books and watching movies.
    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."

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound-Complex sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Compound-Complex sentence
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound Sentence

    • Complex Sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Complex Sentence
    Explanation
    A complex sentence contains an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. In this case, "we decided to return before dark" is the independent clause (it can stand alone as a sentence), and "Since we had only gone a mile from camp" is the dependent clause (it cannot stand alone). The dependent clause provides a reason for the action in the independent clause.

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  • 16. 

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

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound Sentence

    • Complex Sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Complex Sentence
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Complex sentence
    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?

    • The children played outside.

    • Mary and John went to the store, but they forgot to buy milk.

    • The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow.

    • Although it was raining, Sarah decided to go for a run.

    Correct Answer
    A. The children played outside.
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound Sentence

    • Complex Sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Simple sentence
    Explanation
    A simple sentence consists of only one independent clause that has a subject and a predicate, and it expresses a complete thought. In the sentence, "We decided to go fishing and camp out at the lake," there is one subject ("We") and one compound verb ("decided to go fishing and camp out"). Although there are two actions described (going fishing and camping out), they are part of the same clause and connected by the coordinating conjunction "and" within the predicate, not forming separate clauses.

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  • 20. 

    Identify the compound sentence from the options below:

    • After the party ended, we cleaned up the mess.

    • The train arrived late, so I missed my appointment.

    • Jane likes to play tennis, but she prefers swimming.

    • Even though it was hot outside, we decided to go for a hike.

    • A  and D

    • B and C

    • All of the above

    Correct Answer
    A. B and C
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound Sentence

    • Complex Sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Compound-Complex Sentence
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound Sentence

    • Complex Sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Compound Sentence
    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."

    • Simple sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Complex sentence
    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."

    • Simple sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound-Complex sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Compound-Complex sentence
    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."?

    • Simple sentence

    • Complex sentence

    • Compound sentence

    • Compound-Complex Sentence

    Correct Answer
    A. Complex sentence
    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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  • Jan 23, 2025
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