Grammar Mastery: A Quiz On Simple, Compound, And Complex Sentences
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How good are you at identifying sentences as simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex? Try this quiz and test your knowledge! Simple and compound sentences can be distinguished by the number of independent clauses they have. Complex and compound-complex sentences, on the other hand, are distinguished based on the amount of independent and dependent clauses they have. Take this practice quiz and see if you can determine the different types of sentences. All the best!
Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences Questions and Answers
- 1.
What type of a sentence is this: "Barbara and Joanne giggled all night."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Compound Sentence
- C.
Complex Sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
A. Simple sentenceExplanation
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").Rate this question:
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- 2.
What type of a sentence is this: "John went to school today, but James remained at home."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Complex sentence
- C.
Compound sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex sentence
Correct Answer
C. Compound sentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 3.
What type of a sentence is this: "We decided to go fishing and camp out at the lake."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Compound Sentence
- C.
Complex Sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
A. Simple sentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 4.
What type of a sentence is this: "She wanted to go to the store, but it was raining heavily."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Compound Sentence
- C.
Complex Sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
B. Compound SentenceExplanation
A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions (e.g., "but," "and," "or"). In the given sentence, the independent clauses "She wanted to go to the store" and "it was raining heavily" are joined by the coordinating conjunction "but," making it a compound sentence.Rate this question:
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- 5.
What type of a sentence is this: "Since we had only gone a mile from camp, we decided to return before dark."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Compound Sentence
- C.
Complex Sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
C. Complex SentenceExplanation
The given sentence contains a dependent clause and an independent clause. " The independent clause is "we decided to return before dark." The dependent clause is “Since we had only gone a mile from camp,” as it includes a subordinating conjunction, “since”. Therefore, the sentence is a complex sentence.Rate this question:
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- 6.
What type of a sentence is this: "After the tornado hit, my house was completely destroyed."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Compound Sentence
- C.
Complex Sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
C. Complex SentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 7.
What type of a sentence is this: "Our vacation should be exciting, but it should also be restful."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Compound Sentence
- C.
Complex Sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
B. Compound SentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 8.
What type of a sentence is this: "Older television sets had tubes; the newest models, which take less space, are digital televisions."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Compound Sentence
- C.
Complex Sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
B. Compound SentenceExplanation
The sentence is a compound sentence as it consists of two independent clauses joined by a semicolon. It contrasts older television sets with tubes to newer models, which are digital and take up less space. Both clauses express complete ideas and are of equal importance within the sentence.Rate this question:
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- 9.
What type of a sentence is this: "After finding out that he bought a used shirt, he went to the store to return it."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Complex sentence
- C.
Compound sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
B. Complex sentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 10.
What type of a sentence is this: "Buying new footwear is my hobby."?
- A.
Simple Sentence
- B.
Complex Sentence
- C.
Compound-Complex Sentence
- D.
Compound Sentence
Correct Answer
A. Simple SentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 11.
Rey waited for the train all night.
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Complex sentence
- C.
Compound sentence
- D.
Compound-complex sentence
Correct Answer
A. Simple sentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 12.
I looked for Joe and Mary at the airport.
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Complex sentence
- C.
Compound sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
A. Simple sentenceExplanation
A simple sentence consists of one independent clause, and it typically contains a subject and a predicate. In the given sentence, "I looked for Joe and Mary at the airport," there is one subject ("I") and one predicate ("looked for Joe and Mary at the airport"). It expresses a complete thought and doesn't contain additional independent clauses or complex structures.Rate this question:
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- 13.
I like tea, but Mary likes coffee.
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Complex sentence
- C.
Compound sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
C. Compound sentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 14.
What type of a sentence is this: "I want to be a ballerina when I grow up."?
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Complex sentence
- C.
Compound sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
A. Simple sentenceExplanation
A simple sentence consists of a single independent clause that has a subject and a predicate. In this case, the subject is "I," and the predicate is "want to be a ballerina when I grow up," making it a simple sentence despite the presence of a when-clause that might make it seem more complex. This when-clause does not stand alone as an independent clause; therefore, the sentence does not fit the definitions of complex, compound, or compound-complex sentences.Rate this question:
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- 15.
The rain started as soon as they left home to attend a meeting.
- A.
Simple sentence
- B.
Complex sentence
- C.
Compound sentence
- D.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Correct Answer
B. Complex sentenceExplanation
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.Rate this question:
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- 16.
Which of the following sentences is an example of a simple sentence?
- A.
She went to the store and bought some groceries.
- B.
Although it was raining, they decided to go for a walk.
- C.
The cat sat on the mat while the dog barked outside.
- D.
Sarah enjoys reading books and watching movies.
Correct Answer
D. Sarah enjoys reading books and watching movies.Explanation
A simple sentence consists of one independent clause, expressing a complete thought. In this sentence, "Sarah enjoys reading books and watching movies" contains one subject ("Sarah") and one predicate ("enjoys reading books and watching movies"), making it a simple sentence.Rate this question:
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- 17.
Identify the compound sentence from the options below:
- A.
After the party ended, we cleaned up the mess.
- B.
The train arrived late, so I missed my appointment.
- C.
Jane likes to play tennis, but she prefers swimming.
- D.
Even though it was hot outside, we decided to go for a hike.
Correct Answer
C. Jane likes to play tennis, but she prefers swimming.Explanation
A compound sentence consists of at least two independent clauses joined by a conjunction. In this sentence, "Jane likes to play tennis" and "she prefers swimming" are two independent clauses connected by the conjunction "but," making it a compound sentence. The other options represent simple or complex sentences, not compound sentences.Rate this question:
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- 18.
Which of the following sentences is a compound-complex sentence?
- A.
She cooked dinner while he set the table.
- B.
I finished my homework before going to bed.
- C.
She was crying because she fell down.
- D.
Although it was raining, they decided to go to the beach, but they brought umbrellas just in case.
Correct Answer
D. 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")Rate this question:
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- 19.
Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?
- A.
After dinner, we went for a walk.
- B.
She likes to read books, but her brother prefers watching movies.
- C.
Because it was raining, we stayed inside.
- D.
The dog barked loudly.
Correct Answer
B. She likes to read books, but her brother prefers watching movies.Explanation
A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses (complete thoughts) that are connected by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). In option B, "She likes to read books" and "her brother prefers watching movies" are two independent clauses connected by the coordinating conjunction "but," making it a compound sentence.Rate this question:
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- 20.
Which of the following sentences is a simple sentence?
- A.
The children played outside until it got dark.
- B.
Mary and John went to the store, but they forgot to buy milk.
- C.
The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow.
- D.
Although it was raining, Sarah decided to go for a run.
Correct Answer
C. The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow.Explanation
A simple sentence consists of a single independent clause and has a subject and a predicate. "The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow" qualifies as a simple sentence despite having a dependent clause ("that I borrowed from the library") because the main clause ("The book is due tomorrow") stands independently as a complete sentence. The other options contain multiple clauses coordinated or subordinated in ways that make them either compound or complex sentences, not simple.Rate this question:
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Apr 25, 2024Quiz Edited by
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Expert Reviewed by
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Apr 02, 2009Quiz Created by
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