How to understand which sentence is complex or simple. How to distinguish a complex sentence from a simple sentence with homogeneous members? What are the types of simple sentences?

A simple sentence is one that consists of one or more grammatically combined words that express a complete thought. This is the basic grammatical unit of syntax. A simple sentence must have only one grammatical basis (predicative center).

Father washes the car.
Children play on the lawn.
Twilight.
Grandma is resting.

A simple sentence is the main structural type of sentences in the Russian language, which is used to construct complex sentences.

Spring has come + The snow has melted = Spring has come, the snow has melted.

Grammatical structure

There are main and minor members of a simple sentence. The main ones are the subject (answers the questions “who? what?”) and the predicate (answers the questions “what is he doing? what did he do? what will he do?”) - name the object that is the subject of the action (subject) and the action itself performed by the subject (predicate). The subject and predicate are interconnected and constitute the predicative center.

The secondary ones - addition, definition, circumstance - explain the predicate and/or subject or other minor members and depend on them syntactically.

An old tram was moving slowly along hot rails.

In this sentence the subject is “tram” and the predicate is “rode”. The definition of “old” depends on the subject “tram”. The predicate “drove,” which is connected with the subject “tram,” governs the object “on the rails” and has the dependent adverbial “slowly.” The complement, in turn, also has a secondary dependent member of the sentence - the definition of “hot”. The entire sentence is divided into a subject group ("an old tram") and a predicate group ("drove slowly on hot rails"). The information below will help you parse sentences quickly and easily.

What are the types of simple sentences?

The following types of simple sentences exist:

non-exclamatory and exclamatory (relative to intonation);
narrative, interrogative, incentive (relative to the purpose of the statement);
two-part and one-part (relative to the composition of the grammatical basis);
complete and incomplete (regarding the presence/absence of the necessary members of the sentence);
common and non-widespread (relative to the presence/absence of minor members of the sentence);
complicated and uncomplicated.

Exclamation and non-exclamation

As for this type, the defining moment is the presence/absence of an exclamation mark.

Spring has come. Spring has arrived!

Narrative, interrogative, incentive

The second type indicates the purpose for which this maxim is pronounced: to tell about something (the Danube flows into the Black Sea), to ask about something (When will you finally get married?) or to encourage something (Buy a loaf of bread at dinner).

One-piece and two-piece

What simple sentences can be called one-part sentences? Those whose predicative (grammatical) basis consists only of a subject or only of a predicate.

Thaw.
Beautiful girl.
It's getting light.

If of the main members in a sentence there is only a subject, then such grammatical units are called denominative, or nominative.

The beauty is incredible!
Evening Kyiv with many lights.

If there is only a predicate, then there are several types of such one-part sentences:

definitely personal (the action is performed by a certain object or person and is expressed by a verb in the form of the 1st and 2nd person singular or plural present or future tense);
indefinite personal (the predicate is expressed by a verb in the 3rd person plural);
generalized-personal (the verb is expressed in the form of the 2nd person singular of the present or future tense and the 3rd person plural, but attention is concentrated on the action itself);
impersonal (the character is not grammatically expressed).

A sentence whose predicative center consists of two members is called two-part.

It's raining.

Complete and incomplete

A simple sentence can be complete or incomplete.

A sentence is considered complete if it contains all the main and minor members necessary for the construction and completeness of the expression of the meaning.

I look at the moon.
The train passes the bridge.

In incomplete, the main or minor member of the sentence is missing, but it is clear from the context or situation of speech.

She greeted the teacher. He is with her.

The word “hello” is missing here, but it is clear to the listener based on the context.

Common and non-common

A simple sentence can be widespread (there are minor members that serve to explain the main ones) and non-common (consists only of a predicative center, there are no secondary members). Examples of common sentences:

The July sun is shining brightly.
Finally the weather cleared up.
Beautiful slender girl.

Examples of uncommon sentences:

The sun is shining.
The weather has cleared up.
Young woman.

Simple sentences can be complicated:

the homogeneity of different parts of the sentence (He loved tremulous sunrises, colorful sunsets, and moonlit nights);
isolated definitions that stand after the word that is being explained (The road leading to the waterfall began to twist rapidly);
applications (Near the forest there was a hut - the forester’s dwelling);
separate additions (I really liked the film, with the exception of some scenes);
isolated circumstances (Having prepared dinner, the mother sat in the kitchen for a long time);
appeals and introductory constructions (Oh youth, how quickly you pass! Spring, it seems, will be late);
with clarifying sentences (The accident happened at four in the morning, that is, at dawn).

But a simple complicated sentence is easy to confuse with a complex one. Therefore, you need to be careful and focus on the number of predicative centers.

Parsing a sentence is easy. You can write a hint diagram for yourself.

The article explains in detail what simple and complex sentences are. You will also find out how they differ from each other

A sentence is a driven unit that performs a communicative function. This is how people speak in order to convey this or that information, motivate them to action, or ask a question. All words in sentences are connected to each other. The basis in sentences is the subject, the predicate; it is these members of the sentence that represent the core. It is by the number of these structural nuclei that one judges whether the sentence is simple or complex.

Simple and complex sentence: rule, types, schemes

Simple- this is a sentence in which there is a subject, a predicate, or there is one main member.

A nucleus that contains a subject and a predicate is considered two-part. Example:

They were having fun.
She was smart.
There is a cloud in the sky - dark, voluminous.

A simple sentence with a main member is considered one-piece.

These proposals are divided into groups:

Vaguely personal. Example: Us called to the manager.
Generalized-personal. Example: We won’t wait for you forever!
Impersonal. Example: It was getting dark outside.
Definitely personal. Example: I stand and sing.
Infinitives. Example: Sit! You should already go.
Nominal. Example: Day. Building. Theater.
Incomplete. Example: You will wear this red one.

Complex sentences- include several simple ones. They are divided into the following subgroups:

Compound - they may contain several simple sentences. Most often they are connected to each other by coordinating conjunctions: yes, but, and, however, or, but, either, nor, not that, etc. Example: The rain began to drizzle and the sun appeared.
Complex sentences are those sentences in which one part is not independent in the semantic image and grammatical sense. They are connected to each other using conjunctive, subordinating words (when, so that, if, although, while, which). Example: Katerina did not answer because she was lost in thought.
Non-union sentences are those sentences that contain several simple ones. They have independent meaning and are completely independent of each other. Example: The sun was shining, the cherry trees were blooming, the birds were singing.

Sentences: simple, complex. Differences

What is the difference between a simple sentence and a complex one: comparison

As already mentioned, a simple sentence has one main core, while a complex sentence has two or more main elements.

Simple example:

From a warm country, having traveled several thousand kilometers, noisy rooks flew to their nests, which had been empty all winter.

IMPORTANT: Simple sentences are uncomplicated, complicated, common, non-common, one-part, two-part. This has already been mentioned above.

Unlike simple ones, complex sentences have two or more grammatical stems. As a rule, such sentences are union, non-union, complex, complex, compound, mixed.

non-union: The sun came out, the ringing birds began to sing
complex: I can't figure out what to do with you
compound: The sky was overcast and the wind was blowing from the east
mixed: The wind bent the top of the nut, and where it grew, the shadows moved as if alive.

In both simple and complex ones, introductory words, homogeneous members, isolated, indivisible words can be used. The only difference between the sentences is the use of multiple stems in complex sentences.

It is only by this difference that one determines what kind of proposal it is.

IMPORTANT: Do not confuse a simple sentence with a complex one if it is two-part.

two-part, simple: Mobile rings tirelessly
one-part, simple: I am writing and thinking about something else

These sentences are sometimes included in complex sentences.

How many simple sentences can there be in a complex one?

As such, there is no rule about the number of grammatical stems in a compound. However, most often it includes three to four grammatical stems. Otherwise it will be overloaded.

Using conjunctions in simple and complex sentences: rule

Conjunctions are the most common words in sentences. And not everyone knows how to use them correctly, or rather put punctuation marks. There are rules for this, which we will consider further.

Punctuation marks, dash, colon, comma in a simple and complex sentence: how to put it correctly?

It is difficult for beginners to determine which sign to put a comma, colon, or dash before a conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions such as -yes-, -but-, -a-, -and- are preceded by a comma.

In simple sentences, a dash can be placed between the subject and predicate.

A colon is used when listing. Below, see the diagram of the use of the conjunction -and- in different sentences.

Examples of constructing a complex sentence from 2 and 3 simple sentences

From the usual two or three simple sentences you can construct one complex one.

Winter is coming soon, the days have become short.
Yesterday the sun shone during the day, and as night fell the temperature dropped to three degrees.
The rain passed and a rainbow appeared.
The bright sun was just rising from the horizon, but the rays were already touching the tops of the trees.

When spelling, simple sentences in complex ones are separated by commas, and conjunctions connect them.

Sentence with direct speech, participial phrase: simple or complex?

Sentences with direct speech are often complex sentences where the words of the author and direct speech are used.

The girl said sadly: “Tomorrow I’m leaving.”
“I’m going to the store,” she repeated again.
“Tomorrow,” she said, “I’ll go home.”

Participial phrases are used in simple sentences; they denote an additional action.

When assessing a painting, look at the bright colors in the foreground.
It's good to relax on the beach in the summer, look at the blue sky, thinking about pleasant things.
The cat, seeing the baby, ran away.
The girl, dreaming of marriage, looked out the window.

Participial phrases

After studying the material, you will easily determine where the sentence is simple and where it is complex. How to correctly use punctuation marks in them. And in which sentences do they use direct speech, and in which are they using participial phrases?

Video: Simple, complex sentences

Offers are divided into simple And complex. Both simple and complex sentences can be common And uncommon, i.e. whether to contain or not to contain, in addition to the main ones, secondary members (definitions, additions, circumstances, etc.): He came very quickly. And He came.

Simple sentence

A simple sentence is a syntactic unit formed by one syntactic connection between the subject and the predicate or one main member.

A two-part sentence is a simple sentence with a subject and predicate as necessary components: They laughed. He was smart. The cloud is black, heavy in outline.

A one-part sentence is a simple sentence that has only one main clause (with or without dependent words). There are one-part sentences:

Vaguely personal: Me called to the director.
Generalized-personal: Without difficulty you can't get it out and fish from the pond.
Impersonal: On the street it got dark.
Definitely personal: Sitting And I'm drawing.
Infinitive: Be silent ! You already drive.
Nominal: Night. Street. Flashlight. Pharmacy.
Incomplete sentence is a sentence that lacks one or more members (major or secondary), which are indicated by the context or situation: The truth remains the truth, but rumor - rumor. We started talking as if we've known each other forever. You probably know about our work? And about me? I'll put it on this is blue.

Complex sentence

A complex sentence consists of two or more simple sentences related in meaning and/or by means of conjunctions. Complex sentences are divided into:

Compound Sentences consist of parts (simple sentences), independent grammatically, connected in meaning and through coordinating conjunctions and, but, yes, or, or, however, but, as well as complex coordinating conjunctions neither... nor..., then... then..., either..., or..., not that..., not that... etc.: The rain has stopped , And The sun has risen. That the phone will ring , That the doorbell will ring.
Complex sentences consist of parts (simple sentences), one of which is not independent in grammatical and semantic terms; parts are connected using subordinating conjunctions and allied words: what, so that, where, when, where, why, if (if), how, while, although, therefore, which, which, whose etc., as well as complex subordinating conjunctions: thanks to the fact that, in view of the fact that, due to the fact that, instead of, despite the fact that, before, since etc. The subordinating conjunction and the allied word are always in a subordinate clause: I know , What they are friends. He doesn't want , to they were waiting for him. Sergey did not answer , because I didn't hear the question.
Non-union proposals. Parts of a non-union sentence (simple sentences) are almost always independent grammatically, but sometimes unequal in meaning; There are no conjunctions and allied words: The sun was shining, the birches were green, the birds were whistling. I hear a knock on the door. The cheese fell out - such was the trick with it.

A sentence is a word or combination of words. The words in it are grammatically organized. A sentence is distinguished from phrases by its semantic and intonation completeness. In Russian, sentences are divided into two main categories: simple and complex. Sometimes a case of convergence of these categories is identified: the so-called “transitional type”. The main difference is their structure.

Structure

The primary feature by which simple sentences are distinguished from complex ones is the number of predicative units. The predicative unit or core of a sentence is its basis, that is, a combination of subject and predicate.

For example, “Mom cooks semolina porridge for breakfast.” The subject “mother” and the predicate “cooks” constitute the predicative unit of this sentence.

Sometimes, if the sentence is one-part, the predicative base can be represented only by the predicate or only by the subject.
For example, “They’re going!” The predicative basis “are going” is represented by one predicate, the logical subject is assumed, but is absent in the sentence itself.

In a simple sentence, one predicative nucleus is distinguished. In complex - two or more. Thus, “They’re going!” and “Mom cooks semolina kazhu for breakfast” - the sentences are simple.

An example of a complex sentence: “For breakfast, mom cooks semolina porridge because the kids love it the most.” In this example there are two predicative stems: “mother cooks” and “children love.”

Compound

Another sign of the difference between a simple and complex sentence is its composition. To some extent, this parameter echoes the previous one.

A simple sentence consists of words and phrases. And a complex one is made up of simple sentences, that is, it can be divided into several sentences, which together will give the same meaning as one complex one.

For example, the simple sentence “Vitya eats strawberry-flavored ice cream” consists of the following words and phrases: “Vitya”, “eats ice cream”, “creamy ice cream”, “strawberry-flavoured ice cream”.

An example of a complex one: “Vitya eats regular ice cream because he is allergic to food additives.” You can break this sentence down into simple ones, without losing the meaning: “Vitya is allergic to food additives. He eats regular ice cream."

Connection

A distinctive feature of complex sentences is the type of connection between simple sentences within a complex sentence. Simple sentences can be connected by coordinating conjunctions or simply a coordinating connection: “Petya drank pomegranate juice, and Vanya ate bananas.” Or “Petya drank pomegranate juice, Vanya ate bananas.”

The relationship can be subordinate. Then in a complex sentence, simple ones will be connected by subordinating conjunctions, and one of them will be the main one, and the rest will be subordinate conjunctions. For example, “Petya drank the pomegranate juice that Vanya bought for his friend.”
There cannot be such connections in simple sentences.

Transitional types of sentences

Sometimes a simple and a complex sentence, although they have their own characteristics, can come together. For example, “Petya drank the pomegranate juice that Vanya bought for his friend” and “Vanya bought pomegranate juice to treat his friend.” In the first case, this is a complex sentence, and in the second, it is a simple one, complicated by an infinitive phrase with a conjunction, which in the sentence is not part of the complex, but a circumstance of the goal in the simple.

Procedure

Taking into account the described differences, we can provide step-by-step instructions for working with these types of proposals. To determine a complex sentence or a simple one, you need to follow the following algorithm:

Determine the predicative unit or units.
Count how many there are. If there are two or more, then we are faced with a definitely complex proposal.
Check whether the given sentence can be decomposed into components.
Find out what these components are: words and phrases or simple sentences.
If the likelihood of a complex sentence is high, note the presence of a coordinating or subordinating relationship between the components of the complex sentence.
Check whether this sentence is an example of a case of convergence of simple and complex sentences, whether it looks like a simple one, complicated by a turnover.

A sentence is a syntactic unit characterized by semantic and grammatical completeness. One of its main features is the presence of predicative parts. According to the number of grammatical bases, all sentences are classified as simple or complex. Both perform their main function in speech - communicative.

Types of complex sentences in Russian

A complex sentence consists of two or more simple sentences connected to each other using conjunctions or just intonation. At the same time, its predicative parts retain their structure, but lose their semantic and intonational completeness. Methods and means of communication determine the types of complex sentences. A table with examples allows you to identify the main differences between them.

Compound Sentences

Their predicative parts are independent in relation to each other and equal in meaning. They can be easily divided into simple ones and rearranged. Coordinating conjunctions, which are divided into three groups, act as a means of communication. Based on them, the following types of complex sentences with coordinating connections are distinguished.

With connecting conjunctions: AND, ALSO, YES (=AND), ALSO, NEITHER...NOR, NOT ONLY...BUT AND, AS...SO AND, YES AND. In this case, parts of compound conjunctions will be located in different simple sentences.

The whole city was already asleep, I Same went home. Soon Anton not only I re-read all the books in my home library, but also turned to his comrades.

A feature of complex sentences is that the events described in different predicative parts can occur simultaneously ( AND thunder roared And the sun was breaking through the clouds), sequentially ( The train rumbled And a dump truck rushed after him) or one follows from the other ( It's already completely dark, And it was necessary to disperse).

With adversative conjunctions: BUT, A, HOWEVER, YES (= BUT), THEN, THE SAME. These types of complex sentences are characterized by the establishment of opposition relations ( Grandfather seemed to understand everything, But Grigory had to convince him of the need for the trip for a long time) or comparisons ( Some were fussing in the kitchen, A others started cleaning the garden) between its parts.
With disjunctive conjunctions: EITHER, OR, NOT THAT...NOT THAT, THAT...THAT, EITHER...EITHER. The first two conjunctions can be single or repeating. It was time to get to work, or he would be fired. Possible relationships between parts: mutual exclusion ( Either Pal Palych really had a headache, either he just got bored), alternation ( All day long That the blues took hold, That suddenly there was an inexplicable attack of fun).

Considering the types of complex sentences with a coordinating connection, it should be noted that the connecting conjunctions ALSO, ALSO and the adversative SAME are always located after the first word of the second part.

Main types of complex sentences with subordinating connections

The presence of a main and dependent (subordinate) part is their main quality. The means of communication are subordinating conjunctions or allied words: adverbs and relative pronouns. The main difficulty in distinguishing them is that some of them are homonymous. In such cases, a hint will help: an allied word, unlike a conjunction, is always a member of a sentence. Here are examples of such homoforms. I knew for sure What(union word, you can ask a question) look for me. Tanya completely forgot What(union) the meeting was scheduled for the morning.

Another feature of NGN is the location of its predicative parts. The location of the subordinate clause is not clearly defined. It can stand before, after or in the middle of the main part.

Types of subordinate clauses in SPP

It is traditional to correlate dependent parts with members of a sentence. Based on this, there are three main groups into which such complex sentences are divided. Examples are presented in the table.

Subordinate clause type		Question	Communication tool	Example
Definitive			Which, which, whose, when, what, where, etc.	There was a house near the mountain, a roof whom* I'm already pretty thin.*
Explanatory		Cases	What (s. and s.w.), how (s. and s.w.), so that, as if, as if, or... or, who, like, etc.	Mikhail didn't understand How* solve the problem.*
Circumstantial		When? How long?	When, while, how, barely, while, since, etc.	The boy waited until Bye* the sun hasn't set at all.*
		Where? Where? Where?	Where, where, where	Izmestiev put the papers there, Where* no one could find them.*
		Why? Why?	Because, since, for, due to the fact that, etc.	The driver stopped for* the horses suddenly began to snort.*
	Consequences	What follows from this?		By morning it cleared up So the detachment moved on.
		Under what conditions?	If, when (= if), if, once, in case	If the daughter did not call for a week, the mother involuntarily began to worry.
		For what? For what purpose?	In order to, in order to, in order to, in order to, if only,	Frolov was ready for anything to get this place.
		Despite what? In spite of what?	Although, despite the fact that, even if, for nothing, whoever, etc.	Overall the evening was a success Although* and there were minor shortcomings in its organization.*
	Comparisons	How? Like what?	As if, exactly, as if, just as, as if, just as, as if,	Snowflakes flew down in large, frequent flakes, as if* someone poured them out of a bag.*
	Measures and degrees	To what extent?	What, in order, how, as if, as if, how much, how much	There was such silence What* I felt somehow uneasy.*
	Connection		what (in the oblique case), why, why, why = the pronoun this	There was still no car, why* The anxiety only grew.*

SPP with several subordinate clauses

Sometimes a complex sentence may contain two or more dependent parts that relate to each other in different ways.

Depending on this, the following methods of connecting simple sentences into complex sentences are distinguished (examples help to build a diagram of the described structures).

With consistent submission. The next subordinate clause depends directly on the previous one. It seemed to me What this day will never end, because There were more and more problems.
With parallel homogeneous subordination. Both (all) subordinate clauses depend on one word (the entire part) and belong to the same type. This construction resembles a sentence with homogeneous members. There can be coordinating conjunctions between subordinate clauses. It soon became clear What it was all just a bluff So what no major decisions were made.
With parallel heterogeneous subordination. Dependents are of different types and refer to different words (the entire part). Garden, which sowed in May, already produced the first harvest, That's why life became easier.

Non-union complex sentence

The main difference is that the parts are connected only in meaning and intonation. Therefore, the relationships developing between them come to the fore. They are the ones who influence the placement of punctuation marks: commas, dashes, colons, semicolons.

Types of non-union complex sentences

The parts are equal, the order of their arrangement is free. Tall trees grew to the left of the road , to the right stretched a shallow ravine.
The parts are unequal, the second:

reveals the contents of the 1st ( These sounds caused concern: (= namely) in the corner someone was rustling persistently);
complements the 1st ( I peered into the distance: someone’s figure appeared there);
indicates the reason ( Sveta laughed: (= because) the neighbor’s face was smeared with dirt).

3. Contrasting relationships between parts. This manifests itself in the following:

the first indicates a time or condition ( I'm five minutes late - there is no one anymore);
in the second unexpected result ( Fedor just got up to speed - the opponent immediately remained behind); opposition ( The pain becomes unbearable - you be patient); comparison ( Looks from under his brows - Elena will immediately burn with fire).

JV with different types of communications

Often there are constructions that contain three or more predicative parts. Accordingly, between them there can be coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, allied words or only punctuation marks (intonation and semantic relations). These are complex sentences (examples are widely presented in fiction) with various types of connections. Mikhail has long wanted to change his life, But Something was constantly stopping him; As a result, the routine bogged him down more and more every day.

The diagram will help to summarize information on the topic “Types of complex sentences”: