Question

For each of the following sentences, select the letter that identifies its type:

1. Simple sentence 3. Complex sentence

2. Compound sentence 4. Compound-complex sentence

a. Bottled water consumption rose 2.2 percent in volume last year.

b. Because Americans are increasingly health-conscious, they are drinking more bottled water than ever before.

c. Americans are drinking fewer soft drinks, and heavy-hitters Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are being hit hard.

d. Calorie-counting Americans are backing away from sugary soda, but they are also fleeing diet soda.

e. Sales volume across the entire beverage industry slid last year; however, smaller players such as Monster Beverage and Red Bull expanded their market share because they appealed to younger drinkers.

Answer 1

a. Bottled water consumption rose 2.2 percent in volume last year.

Type: Simple Sentence

Reason: Only one clause is there. The letter ‘Bottled water’ (subject) and ‘rose’ (verb).

b. Because Americans are increasingly health-conscious, they are drinking more bottled water than ever before.

Type: Complex Sentence

Reason: The letter ‘Because’ links the dependent clause (Americans are increasingly health-conscious) to the independent clause (they are drinking more bottled water than ever before).

c. Americans are drinking fewer soft drinks, and heavy-hitters Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are being hit hard.

Type: Complex sentence

Reason: The letter ‘and’ links the dependent clause (heavy-hitters Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are being hit hard) and independent clause (Americans are drinking fewer soft drinks).

d. Calorie-counting Americans are backing away from sugary soda, but they are also fleeing diet soda.

Type: Compound sentence

Reason: The letter ‘but’ connects the two independent clauses.

e. Sales volume across the entire beverage industry slid last year; however, smaller players such as Monster Beverage and Red Bull expanded their market share because they appealed to younger drinkers.

Type: Compound- complex sentence

Reason: The letter ‘however’ connects the two independent clause and the letter ‘because’ connects the independent clause and dependent clause.

Dependent clause: They appealed to younger drinkers.

Independent clauses: ‘Sales volume across the entire beverage industry slid last year’ and ‘smaller players such as Monster Beverage and Red Bull expanded their market share’.