Alicia64 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Maybe something on School House Rock? I get how they're different, but I'm terrible at explaining it. My one son looks at me like I'm nuts when I try to explain the difference between complex and compound sentences. Do you have a super cool way of getting the ideas across? I'd hang interesting posters in the bathroom! Play interesting grammar songs in the car! Anything. . .! Thank you! Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Not a cool way, but a good program that will get your child to thoroughly understand the different types of clauses (which is all that is needed to understand compound/complex sentences) is MCT LA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 Not a cool way, but a good program that will get your child to thoroughly understand the different types of clauses (which is all that is needed to understand compound/complex sentences) is MCT LA. I'm not sure what MCT LA is. I'm not sure I'm up for buying a new curriculum. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Well, if two clauses are connected by one of seven coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) then it is a compound sentence:) If it uses another conjunction (a subordinating conjunction) it will be a complex sentence. But ai agree MCT is awesome for teaching clauses through diagramming. I only understood grammar when I bought MCT to do with dd:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 MCT LA = Michael Clay Thompson's language arts materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Compound sentences are two or more complete sentences stuck together with a conjunction. Complex sentences have compound parts, but do not contain multiple (more than one) complete sentences. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Maybe a mental visual? If the two pieces need to "lean against each other" to be understood, you have complex. If they can stand alone, you have compound. Another place where diagramming can really shine!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy M Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 My high school English teacher, who made up her own curriculum and was in all points awesome, used a little visual that helped us remember complex vs. compound. She drew little-better-than-stick-figures on the board, a daddy and a mommy for independent clauses, and a baby or child for dependent clauses. Then she showed by drawing different sets of characters that a compound sentence was a daddy and mommy without any children (two independent clauses), a complex sentence was one independent plus one dependent (one parent with one child) and a compound-complex sentence had both parents and child (two independents and one dependent). She taught us how to identify independent vs. dependent clauses, and the rest was easy. The little visual stuck to this day. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpence1978 Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 My high school English teacher, who made up her own curriculum and was in all points awesome, used a little visual that helped us remember complex vs. compound. She drew little-better-than-stick-figures on the board, a daddy and a mommy for independent clauses, and a baby or child for dependent clauses. Then she showed by drawing different sets of characters that a compound sentence was a daddy and mommy without any children (two independent clauses), a complex sentence was one independent plus one dependent (one parent with one child) and a compound-complex sentence had both parents and child (two independents and one dependent). She taught us how to identify independent vs. dependent clauses, and the rest was easy. The little visual stuck to this day. :) Oh, that's a good one. I've been using train cars for the independent clauses and a caboose for the dependent clause, but I like this one better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Not a cool way, but a good program that will get your child to thoroughly understand the different types of clauses (which is all that is needed to understand compound/complex sentences) is MCT LA. GuestHollow has a cool printable sheet for the MCT 4 level analysis that addresses the compound/complex sentence part. Nice bright colors. I laminated it and put it in Dd's notebook. And we don't even use MCT. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 nm. Found it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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