To close out this blog series, we are going to focus on the various sentence types. Different from sentence patterns that reflect core parts (e.g., SN + V), sentence types reflect the organization of thoughts in sentences.

As every writer knows, it can be hard to organize one’s ideas into a sentence that makes sense. Grammatically, we call this a complete thought or a simple sentence, meaning it has a clear subject, or who or what the subject is about, and a clear predicate, or what is being said about the subject.

Let’s put this in context with a few examples of simple sentences.

SAMPLE LESSON

Alas, it’s time to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth and move onto another area of the Renaissance. For this lesson, we’ll consider some of the greatest artists of the time period.

This sentence is a complete thought. It has a subject (Leonardo) and a predicate (liked painting). When we put them together, they make sense. If we separate them, they no longer make sense because they turn into incomplete thoughts or fragments.

Happily, most seventh graders have mastered this concept long before they get to my classroom. Nevertheless, I still walk through this organizational structure because it serves as the foundation for all the other sentence types.

A variation of the simple sentence is a simple sentence with a compound subject (SCS).

This time, our complete thought consists of two subject nouns and one verb. If we wanted, we could combine many more subject nouns.

Another form of the simple sentence is a simple sentence with a compound verb (SCV).

Instead of combining multiple subject nouns, we have combined multiple verbs. Following the same logic above, it’s still just one complete thought. We could add even more verbs, and that would still be true.

Diagrams provide a helpful way to visualize how simple sentences consist of only one complete thought.

Recall from any of our previous lessons that diagrams are formed by crossing a long horizontal line with a short vertical line. That vertical line separates the complete subject from the complete predicate. If you have only one of those vertical lines, then you have only one complete thought no matter how many compound subjects and compound verbs there may be.

PRACTICE SENTENCES

Now it’s time to practice what we’ve learned. Here are several simple sentences about Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).

To review pattern two sentences, click here.
This one is another pattern two sentence.
Here is another pattern two sentence, this time with a compound verb-transitive.
Here is another pattern two sentence.
Here is another pattern two sentence.
To review pattern seven, click here.
Here’s one last pattern four sentence.
Note that “Renaissance” could just as logically be placed in the same space as “Man” since it’s a title. Here, I diagrammed it as an adjective.

It’s no wonder his legacy extends far beyond the Renaissance. The diversity of his interests and the steadfast commitment to excellence he applied therein reminds us that we are all endowed with multiple talents waiting to be developed. His achievements, impressive as they are, were not the product of superhuman abilities.

Rather, they came from constant and deliberate practice, which is infinitely more commendable than raw talent. I view Leonardo as a model of the boundless potential of humanity and a wonderful example for my students.