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)
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Welcome to our Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences Quiz, where you can sharpen your understanding of sentence structures and enhance your writing skills. This quiz offers an opportunity to explore the various types of sentences commonly used in the English language, providing a comprehensive overview of their components and functions. Are you familiar with the differences between simple, compound, and complex sentences? Whether you're a grammar enthusiast or looking to improve your language proficiency, this quiz is designed to cater to learners of all levels.
Through a series of thought-provoking questions and examples, you'll have the chance to identify Read moreand analyze different sentence structures. From straightforward statements to more intricate constructions, each question will challenge you to recognize the elements that distinguish simple, compound, and complex sentences. But this quiz isn't just about testing your knowledge—it's about fostering a deeper understanding of how sentences are formed and how their structures impact communication.


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 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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  • 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 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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  • 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 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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  • 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 Sentence
    Explanation
    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.

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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 Sentence
    Explanation
    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.

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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 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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  • 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 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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  • 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
    D. 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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  • 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 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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  • 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 Sentence 
    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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  • 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 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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  • 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 sentence
    Explanation
    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.

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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 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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  • 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 sentence
    Explanation
    This sentence is a simple sentence because it contains only one independent clause with a single subject ("I") and a single predicate ("want to be a ballerina when I grow up"). It expresses a complete thought without any dependent clauses or additional independent clauses.

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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 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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  • 16. 

    Which of the following sentences is an example of a simple sentence?

    • A.

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

    • 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
    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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  • 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
    B. The train arrived late, so I missed my appointment.
    Explanation
    A compound sentence is formed by joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction. In this case, the coordinating conjunction is "so." The two independent clauses are:  
    "The train arrived late"
    "I missed my appointment"
    Each of these clauses could stand alone as a simple sentence, but they are joined together by "so" to create a compound sentence that shows a cause-and-effect relationship.

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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")

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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.

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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.

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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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Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.

  • Current Version
  • Oct 02, 2024
    Quiz Edited by
    ProProfs Editorial Team

    Expert Reviewed by
    Juliette Firla
  • Apr 02, 2009
    Quiz Created by
    Jmweaver
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