Sentence Structure: Basic and Extended Patterns Sentence patterns are the foundation of clear academic writing. If your sentence structure is weak, even strong ideas can become unclear. At VGS level, you should control simple, compound, and complex patterns and vary structure deliberately for rhythm, emphasis, and…
Faglig kvalitetssikret av lærere og toppstudenter · Følger læreplanen (LK20) · Sist oppdatert 2026-08-04
Sentence Structure: Basic and Extended Patterns
Sentence patterns are the foundation of clear academic writing. If your sentence structure is weak, even strong ideas can become unclear. At VGS level, you should control simple, compound, and complex patterns and vary structure deliberately for rhythm, emphasis, and coherence.
1. Core sentence types
- Simple: one independent clause.
- Compound: two independent clauses joined with coordination (and, but, so, yet).
- Complex: one independent clause + at least one dependent clause.
- Compound-complex: multiple independent clauses + one or more dependent clauses.
2. Why variation matters
Repeated simple sentences can sound immature, while overlong complex sentences reduce clarity. Strong writing balances sentence lengths and structures so that the reader can follow your argument without effort.
3. Example progression
Basic: "Technology changes society."
Improved compound: "Technology changes society, and it also changes how students learn."
Improved complex: "Because technology changes how students access information, schools must teach stronger source criticism."
Academic version: "Although technology broadens access to information, it also increases exposure to unreliable sources; therefore, source evaluation should be treated as a core literacy skill." …