Is this a simple or compound sentence?
Rhinorrhea is a fancy word that means “runny nose.”
I chose complex sentence because it has “that” in the sentence, which is a subordinating conjunction. Is it a simple sentence because “that” is referring to the subject “rhinorrhea”/”word”?
Does there have to be another subject after that word “that” to make it a dependent clause?
Great question! You are totally on the right track, but let’s look at the two sentences you provided. I’ll isolate the section after that.
- You may not realize this, but we saw your friends that you met last year. —> you met last year.
- Rhinorrhea is a fancy word that means “runny nose.” –> means “runny nose”
For a clause to be a clause, it needs a subject and verb.
In the first example, the clause does have a subject and a verb: you met last year. –> In this case, there is a clause.
In the second example, there is no subject: means “runny nose.” –> Because there is no subject, it is not a clause. Rather, this is a phrase.
In order for the sentence to be complex, it must have a dependent clause with a subject and verb in the clause. That can signal a clause or a phrase.
This rule is the same for coordinating conjunctions in compound sentences.
Sentence #1: I like chocolate, and I like ice cream. –> Compound sentence because after and, there is subject (I) and verb (like).
Sentence #2: I like chocolate and ice cream –> Simple sentence because there is a phrase, not a clause after and.
For more TEAS practice on simple, compound, and complex subjects, access the Prenursing Smarter TEAS Prep Program and all lessons.
