The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

  • Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
  • Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

  • What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

  • What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

  • define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
  • describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
  • explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
  • illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
  • summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
  • trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
  • research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

  • compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
  • contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
  • apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
  • cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
  • relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

  • assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
  • prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
  • evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
  • support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
  • synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
  • analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
  • argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

  • What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
  • In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
  • What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
  • How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

  • Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
  • The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she or he expects.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

  • spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
  • use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
  • use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
  • get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Assignment in a Sentence  🔊

Definition of Assignment

a particular task or duty that one is expected to complete

Examples of Assignment in a sentence

On assignment for the Washington Post, the reporter combed the city in search of information.  🔊

The student’s math assignment was too difficult, so he asked his teacher for help completing it.  🔊

Each worker in the building is giving a different assignment that he or she is expected to complete by the end of the work day.  🔊

Although Laura didn’t enjoy her latest post assignment, she didn’t regret her decision to join the military.  🔊

The state attorney was recently given the assignment of prosecuting a West Virginian serial killer.  🔊

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Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples

What is a simple sentence.

A  simple sentence  contains one independent clause.

What’s an “independent clause”?

It’s one  subject  followed by one  verb or verb phrase . It expresses a single idea.

  • Learn more about simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.
  • Learn Basic & Intermediate English Grammar

Let’s look at 50 simple sentence examples in different English verb tenses.

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

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Simple sentences in the Present Simple Tense

The subject of the sentence is in blue .

The verb of the sentence is in red .

  • I ‘m happy.
  • She exercises every morning.
  • His dog barks loudly.
  • My school starts at 8:00.
  • We always eat dinner together.
  • They take the bus to work.
  • He doesn’t like vegetables.
  • I don’t want anything to drink.
  • This little black dress isn’t expensive.  
  • Those kids don’t speak English.

You can see that simple sentences can contain other words, such as:

  • a direct object (“eat dinner” – dinner is the direct object)
  • a prepositional phrase (“at 8:00”)
  • adjectives (“little black dress” – little and black are adjectives)
  • adverbs (“loudly”)

The important thing is that there’s only ONE subject and ONE verb or verb phrase (this could be a helping verb + main verb, for example “don’t speak” and “doesn’t like”).

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

Simple sentences in the Past Simple Tense

  • I went to the store.
  • She took the test last Friday.
  • We talked for hours.
  • The little girl played at the playground.
  • He had a great time yesterday.
  • I didn’t know about the meeting.
  • He didn’t take a shower.
  • My friend and I didn’t buy anything on our trip.
  • We didn’t have enough food for everyone.
  • Rachel didn’t tell anyone the secret.

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

We talked for hours. (We = subject, talked = verb)

Simple sentences in the Future Simple Tense

  • I will visit my parents next weekend.
  • She ‘ll finish her project by tomorrow.
  • They will go on vacation next month.
  • We ‘ll have dinner at a fancy restaurant tonight.
  • He will start his new job next week.
  • I won’t attend the party tomorrow.
  • She won’t buy a new car this year.
  • They will not complete the assignment on time.
  • We won’t go to the concert on Saturday.
  • He will not pass the exam without studying.

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

He won’t pass the exam without studying.

Simple sentences in the Present Continuous Tense

  • I am currently working on a new project.
  • She is dancing gracefully on stage.
  • They are enjoying their vacation in Hawaii.
  • We are learning to play the guitar.
  • He is studying for his upcoming exams.
  • I ‘ m not feeling well today.
  • She isn’t attending the party tonight.
  • They ‘ re not participating in the competition.
  • We aren’t going out for dinner this evening.
  • He ‘ s not wearing a jacket despite the cold weather.

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

He’s not wearing a jacket despite the cold weather.

Simple sentences in the Past Continuous Tense

I was watching a movie last night.

  • She was singing loudly during the concert.
  • They were playing soccer yesterday.
  • We were having dinner at a fancy restaurant.
  • He was studying hard for his final exams.
  • I wasn’t paying attention to the lecture.
  • She was not watching her kids at the park.
  • They were not listening to the teacher’s instructions.
  • We weren’t traveling over spring break.
  • He was not feeling well yesterday.

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

Simple sentences in the Future Continuous Tense

  • I ‘ll be giving a presentation at the conference.
  • She will be traveling to Europe next month.
  • They ‘ll be celebrating their anniversary on a cruise.
  • We will be taking our son to college in September.
  • He ‘ll be working on a new project next week.
  • I will not be attending the party tonight.
  • She will not be participating in the competition.
  • They won’t be going on a vacation this summer.
  • We won’t be looking for new jobs anytime soon.
  • He won’t be taking so many classes next semester.

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

They’ll be celebrating their anniversary on a cruise.

Simple sentences in the Present Perfect Tense

  • I ‘ ve finished reading the book.
  • She has traveled to many countries.
  • They ‘ ve won the championship.
  • We have completed the project on time.
  • He ‘ s learned to play the piano.
  • I haven’t visited that museum yet.
  • She has not received the package.
  • They have not finished their homework.
  • We haven’t seen that movie.
  • He hasn’t achieved his goal.

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

They’ve won the championship

Now you know how to form simple sentences in various verb tenses! Try writing your own simple sentence examples to help you remember this sentence structure. Next, learn about compound sentences and complex sentences.

Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples Espresso English

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Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

Our Experts Tell How to Start an Assignment

As most students will agree, knowing how to start an assignment is already half of the challenge solved because it helps to set the scene for writing and create an outline. No matter what type of essay may be requested, it has to achieve three primary goals: to catch the reader’s attention, introduce research topic, provide strong thesis. Most assignments encountered through academic life will always include specific structure, yet once student understands the importance of each academic writing element separately, essay structure will any longer seem challenging. Still, before drafting an outline, students should start with selection of a good topic, which will help decide on a type of an essay, sources, length, and argumentation style. If creating an assignment is hard for you, then buy assignment service in a few clicks. 

How to Start an Assignment

How to Start Work On Your Assignment

Before learning how to write an introduction for an assignment , it’s crucial to conduct a  preliminary topic research with the analysis of available sources. When an average college student wonders how to write an assignment fast and without hassle, they often forget about completing a plan where all key ideas and counter arguments should be written down. Coming up with a good outline helps keep within academic structure, format, and word count. 

  • Select Relevant & Unique Topic – always start by looking through several ideas. Even if there is already a topic specified, it is still possible to extend it by focusing on a particular detail. Main argumentation in each assignment should relate to the thesis, which is placed at the end of an introductory paragraph. Many university professors recommend choosing a theme based on thesis a student already has in mind. 
  • Conduct Preliminary Research – once there is a particular idea that sounds right, it’s high time to explore the subject by turning to related research works and journals. If there is a lack of available information, think about changing the topic or focusing on what can be used as a reliable source. If there is an idea that is not common knowledge or a personal opinion, it must be supported with a reliable reference. 

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  • Choose Peer-reviewed Sources – this is where most students get stuck as they try to meet initial instructions and find sufficient peer-reviewed materials. If there are online sources, social media, video blogs or slideshows, it should be crucial to consult with your professor to ensure that such list is acceptable. An example of unacceptable reference for most educational institutions is Wikipedia. 
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  • Read Grading Rubric Instructions – Take time to read through the scoring rubric once again. Make sure to pay attention to numbers and pages, if there are any. It is often the case when students find only one example when indeed several examples were requested. The same is with English literature tasks that may ask for  allegories, metaphors, alterations, among other literary devices. Missing even one of them may result in the final grade being decreased, therefore, remember to check instructions twice! 
  • Create Future Paper Outline – when students ask for help, sending messages like “ write my assignment ” or “Help me, I’m stuck with my homework!”, the most frequent assignment part they miss is starting with a proper outline. Even if no outline is required by the instructor, its importance should not be underestimated. When creating an outline you should think about topic sentences for each body paragraph , list of sources, explore contrary opinions, and learn important formatting rules. 
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How to Structure Assignment Introduction

Writing a good introduction is just as important as completing a strong appendix in an essay , meaning that most readers always focus on the beginning and end of a paper with all supplementary information. But there is no universal introduction for assignment that would work for all academic essays, there are obligatory elements that will be met in almost every paper structure. When composing your paper introduction, think over the hook sentence . This is usually the claim that catches reader’s attention by providing unusual fact, making an interesting statement, showing statistical data or starting an essay with controversial information. The choices depend on required type. 

Next step is transition information with brief topic introduction , which should tell readers about why chosen subject is important and relevant. Another goal of this part is to help an audience make a logical transition towards the thesis, which acts as an argumentative conclusion of an assignment introduction paragraph. 

Final part is thesis statement . It’s the heart of each essay paper, representing main argument or a strong claim. Conclusion sentence supports assignment’s thesis , briefly explaining research purpose in your own words . 

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Get Inspired by Our Introduction Examples

Here are a couple of samples that may help you to start an assignment

Example of Introduction for Assignment for Contrast and Compare Essay: 

“Two Voices” 

As a person moves through Belgian countryside, it’s easy to notice major differences between Flanders and Wallonia. What strikes traveller’s eye is not only architecture, costumes or different language, but the pace of daily life. The Dutch-speaking people instantly impress strangers with their accuracy and directness, while French-speaking population leads a laid-back style of life where everything happens in due time with no fuss or hurry. These differences have a long history and important reasons that lie in religious upbringing of each region. As most Belgians agree, it is the same country, only two different voices that express their thoughts differently. Comparing both cultures, it’s hard to believe that they belong to virtually the same legislation and the rules, despite the language and traditions being different. Built upon contrasts and an endless list of cultural differences, Belgium is an example of peaceful co-existence in turbulent times. 

Assignment Introduction Example for Argumentative Essay: 

“Social Media Promotes Teen Depression”  

Social media help connect people from all over the world, provides important platform for delivery of urgent news, assists in emergency situations or political protests, yet there are also darker sides. One of them is depression caused by  excessive social media use, cyberbullying, and emotional burden of keeping personal image popular. Even though there are counter opinions claiming that social media is a key to popularity and high self-esteem, it’s only based upon mass following and virtual isolation. An inner side of popularity forces modern teenagers seek to constant support in faceless followers, causing burnouts and anxiety. From the other side, there are those who could not become popular on social platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Aiming for success, falsely defined by others, such people lose their individuality. A temporary arena for popularity, social media influences depression, keeping teenager permanently attached to what is considered popular.  

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Definition of assignment noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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  • 2 [ uncountable ] the act of giving something to someone; the act of giving someone a particular task his assignment to other duties in the same company

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Part Three Editing / Grammar Skills

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

Learning Objectives

  • To distinguish between a phrase and a sentence
  • To identify the four basic parts of a sentence: subject, verbs, object, subject complement
  • To understand the five basic sentence patterns
  • To learn how to expand a basic sentence by adding adjectives, adverbs, phrases, and clauses
  • To learn and practice three sentence structure types – simple, compound, and complex – with appropriate punctuation through multiple examples and exercises

From this unit on, you will be focusing on editing / grammar skills to enable to you to express your ideas accurately and effectively in paragraphs and essays.

frame at entrance of Early Childhood Lab School at Harper College

The following ten parts are about the Early Childhood Laboratory School at Harper College. Identify the structure by choosing one of the choices. After you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

Adapted from https://www.harpercollege.edu/labschool/index.php . Last retrieved on August 1, 2021.

II. Differences Between a Phrase and a Sentence

A phrase is two or more words used together to represent part of an idea but not a complete idea. There is not a “subject + verb” structure in the phrase. The following are examples of some common types of phrases:

  • Noun phrases: boys and girls, an excellent school, picture books…
  • Verb phrases: play together, read a story, learn shapes and colors…
  • Prepositional phrases: in the classroom, on the wall, from home to school…

A sentence may contain different phrases. It has the following features:

  • It must have a “subject + verb” structure.
  • The first letter of the first word is always capitalized.
  • It must end with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark.
  • It must express a complete idea.

Read the three sentences below. All of them show these features.

  • The boys and girls play together in the Early Childhood Laboratory School.
  • Are they learning shapes and colors in the classroom?
  • What a beautiful painting it is on the wall!

A sentence is usually longer than a phrase but not always. Do not judge by how long it is; instead, look for the “subject + verb” structure.

  • Phrase:  after a long nap on a beautiful mat in the corner of the nap room (no “subject + verb” structure)
  • Sentence:  He woke up. (“subject + verb” structure)

For explanations and examples with periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semi colons, colons, apostrophes, and quotations marks, please refer to Appendix C Punctuation . ( Open Appendix C here .)

Exercise 1. Identify whether the following are phrases or sentences.  Type in the box “phrase” or “sentence”.  The first one is an example. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.

Building D at Harper College

III. Basic Sentence Parts and Sentence Patterns

Four Basic Parts of a Sentence

1. Subject: It shows who/what does the action. It can also show who/what the sentence is about. It usually comes first in the sentence.

  • The writing class is important.
  • The students work hard in this class.

2. Verb: It usually comes after the subject and shows the action or explains the ideas in a sentence.

  • The teacher meets the students in Room D-144 every week.
  • The homework assignments seem interesting.

3. Object: It is usually the receiver of the action and is placed after the verb.

  • All the students have finished homework on time.
  • They have received good grades .

4. Subject complement: It usually follows a linking verb and shows what the subject is about. It can be a noun or an adjective.

  • This is a writing class. (noun)
  • The students grow confident in writing . (adjective)

For more detailed explanations and examples of types of verbs, please refer to Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing.   ( Open Unit 9 here .)

Five Basic Sentence Patterns

1. Subject + verb

  • The semester has started.
  • Professors teach in colleges.

2. Subject + linking verb + subject complement (noun or adjective)

  • The weather turns cold as the semester goes on. (adjective)

3. Subject + verb + direct object

  • We are taking a writing class.
  • I like my classmates.

4. Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

  • The professor gives the students homework assignments.
  • The students left the professor a note yesterday.

5. There + a form of “be” verb

  • There are twenty students in this class.
  • There was a quiz last week.

With these basic patterns, you can expand the sentences by adding descriptive information with adjectives, adverbs, phrases, clauses, etc. The underlined parts are added to make the above sentences more interesting.

  • This is an interesting writing class.
  • All the students work really hard in this important class in order to improve their writing skills .
  • The weekly homework assignments seem very interesting because students write on different topics .
  • The students gradually grow more confident in writing as the semester goes on .
  • There are twenty young and energetic [1] students from different countries in this writing class.

Exercise 2. Here is more information about the Early Childhood Laboratory School at Harper College. Arrange the words and phrases into sentences. When you complete each sentence, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see the answer.

Then try to expand the sentences by adding adjectives, adverbs, phrases, or clauses. Capitalize and punctuate where necessary. Underline the added parts. You can do this second part in your notebook.  Compare your expanded sentences with your partner’s.

provides/to many families/a childcare option/The Early Childhood Laboratory School

Sentence:  The Early Childhood Laboratory School provides a childcare option to many families.

Expand the sentence: The Early Childhood Laboratory School at Harper College provides an excellent child care option to many busy families in the community .

IV. Sentence Structure #1: Simple Sentences

A simple sentence has only one “subject + verb” group from the beginning of the sentence (with a capitalized letter) to the end (with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark).

  • Students take classes.
  • Learning is important.
  • Maria and Sung have three classes.
  • Maria and Sung study and work every day.
  • They are taking classes and working part time.
  • Ana goes to only one class.
  • Ana does not have a job.
  • Are Maria, Sung, and Anna busy?
  • Ana is not busy.
  • Maria and Sung have been working too hard!

All the above sentences have only one “subject + verb” group, so they are all simple sentences.

Read #3 and #8 again. You see a compound subject in each.

Compound subject : two or more subjects share the same verb.

3. Maria and Sung have three classes.

8. Are Maria, Sung, and Anna busy?

Read #5 again. You see a compound verb in it.

Compound verb : the same subject performs two or more actions.

5. They are taking classes and working part time.

Read #4 again. You see a compound subject and a compound verb in each. Here, multiple subjects perform the same multiple actions.

4. Maria and Sung study and work every day.

a single person smiling and holding a skateboard

The above sentences are all simple sentences, with one subject-verb group in each.

Each sentence is also called an independent clause because it explains a complete, independent idea.

You can understand a simple sentence as an unmarried adult like the single person in the image on the right. He lives an independent life.

Exercise 3. Read the following paragraph about Harper College. Separate each complete, simple sentence with a capital letter in the beginning and a period in the end. Identify the subject and the verb in each sentence.  Capitalize the first letter after a period. The first one is an example. (Commas have already been added.)

William Rainey Harper statue on Harper Campus

in September 1967, Harper College formally opened in Palatine, Illinois

With corrections:  In September 1967, Harper College  formally opened  in Palatine, Illinois.

Subject: Harper College

Verb: opened

Some Information about Harper College

     in September 1967, Harper College formally opened in Palatine, Illinois it uses the name William Rainey Harper to honor the pioneer in the community college movement in the United States Dr. William Rainey Harper was the first president of the University of Chicago Harper College is now one of the nation’s premier [2] and largest community colleges every year, it serves more than 35,000 students in Chicago’s northwest suburbs its academic programs have been preparing students for their future study and their careers students can choose to become full time or part time students Harper offers scholarships and financial aids to help students financially. Students should check the college website or call 947-925-6000 for information a registration specialist will provide step-by-step guidance.

Adapted from https://www.harpercollege.edu/about/index.php . Last accessed on August 1, 2021.

V. Sentence structure #2: Compound Sentences

Too many simple sentences will make your writing sound choppy [3] . Therefore, you can combine the ideas to form compound sentences.

  • Students take classes, and Anna is no exception. (compound)
  • Learning is important, so Maria and Sung are taking three classes. (compound)
  • Maria and Sung study every day; besides, they also work part time. (compound)
  • Maria and Sung are very busy; however, they feel accomplished [4] . (compound)

A compound sentence has two subject-verb groups and uses words such as “and, so, besides, however” to connect the two parts.

a couple with a heart in between

While a simple sentence is like an independent, unmarried person, a compound sentence is similar to a married couple, each independent but connected by love. That connection (love) is called a conjunction .

There are different types of compound sentences. In this course, you are going to learn the two below:

  • with one of the coordinating conjunctions FANBOYS
  • with an adverbial conjunction

Coordinating Conjunctions: FANBOYS

Compound sentences with FANBOYS should follow the sentence pattern below:

  • We have taken three writing classes , for writing is a very important skill.
  • We have a writing class , and we like it.
  • We do not have a test this week , nor are we going to have one next week.
  • I try to be on time for my writing class , but it’s hard to get up in the morning.
  • Next semester, I may take another writing class , or I may choose a grammar class.
  • One of my classmates has failed most tests , yet he does not care.
  • Writing is challenging , so I am studying very hard.

Nor : The conjunction “nor” requires a slightly different word order: the helping verb comes before the subject. “Nor” already indicates negative, so do not add another “no” or “not”.

  • I do not like hot dogs, nor do I like hamburgers.
  • He is not going to the library after class, nor is he going home.
  • I did not have a good winter break last year, nor did I have a fun spring break.

For explanations and practice in helping verbs, please refer to Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing.  ( Open Unit 9 here. )

Not all the sentences with FANBOYS are compound sentences. They must follow the above format to be called compound sentences.

  • We are taking this writing course for three reasons.(simple)
  • We are taking this writing course, for writing is important. (compound)
  • Last week, we had an editing quiz, a vocabulary quiz, and an oral presentation. (simple)
  • Last week, we had two quizzes, and we did well in both. (compound)

Exercise 4. The following paragraph is about differences between a university and a community college. Decide whether each sentence is a simple or a compound sentence. Type “S” in the blank if it is a simple sentence and “C” if it is a compound sentence.  Explain to your partner why you think so. The first sentence is an example.

University Center at Harper College

Adverbial Conjunctions

They are also called transitions, as in the earlier units. This type of compound sentences is more formal.

Compound sentences with adverbial conjunctions should follow the sentence pattern below:

  • The teachers give us lots of materials in class ; also, they require us to study in the Language Lab once a week.
  • I am taking two courses at Harper College ; in addition, I have a full-time job.
  • They have finished all the ESL courses ; as a result, they are registering for English 101.
  • They had studied very hard ; therefore, they passed the test with an A.
  • He liked to go on a vacation ; however, he was too busy with her classes.
  • Many students want to take day classes ; nevertheless, they have a job during the day.
  • We have many tests this semester ; for example, we have one editing quiz in the writing class and one unit exam in the reading class every week.

It is common to break one compound sentence into two simple sentences, with the same adverbial conjunction in the beginning of the second simple sentence. This happens more often when the sentences are long. Put a period after the first independent clause and capitalize the first letter of the adverbial conjunction. Everything else remains the same. There is always a comma after the conjunction.

  • I am taking 2 courses at Harper College . In addition, I have a full time job.
  • They had studied very hard . Therefore, they passed the test with an A.
  • He liked to go on a vacation . However, he was too busy with her classes.
  • We have many tests this semester . For example, we have one editing quiz in the writing class and one unit exam in the reading class every week.

Exercise 5. Use the given adverbial conjunctions to combine the simple sentences into compound sentences. Then use the same conjunctions to write two simple sentences.

Example :             

Studying a second language is difficult . I t is very useful in finding a job. (however)

Compound sentence:  Studying a second language is difficult; h owever, it is very useful in finding a job.  

Two simple sentences:  Studying a second language is difficult. H owever, it is v ery useful in finding a job. 

  • Almost all the jobs require good speaking skills. They need good writing skills. (moreover)
  • Many people from other countries have good technical skills. They need time to perfect their communication skills. (however)
  • They are highly motivated to learn. They work very hard. (furthermore)
  • They try different ways to improve. Some of them take classes. (for instance)
  •  They are able to do well at work. Hard work pays off. (therefore)

VI. Sentence Structure #3: Complex Sentences

A complex sentence has at least two subject-verb groups. They are connected with subordinating conjunctions such as “because, as soon as, if”. There are different types of complex sentences. You are focusing on adverbial clauses in this course.

As you recall, a simple sentence is like an unmarried person living an independent life. A compound sentence resembles [5] a couple living together as two independent adults but connected by love.

a parent pushing a baby in a stroller

A complex sentence is like a parent with a baby. Life is certainly more complex with a baby! The parent is independent, representing the independent clause. The baby is dependent on the parent for food, shelter, love, etc., so the baby resembles the dependent clause.

baby : parent = dependent : independent

A baby cannot live by himself or herself. In the same way, a dependent clause cannot exist by itself. It must be connected with an independent clause.

  • When I got home , my sister was watching TV.
  • Because I wanted to finish my homework , I did not go to bed till 12 am this morning.
  • Although English is a difficult language , I am trying my best to learn it.

The same complex sentences can also be written as follows. Notice that there is no comma in the middle of the sentence.

  • My sister was watching TV when I got home.
  • I didn’t go to bed till 12 am this morning because I wanted to finish my homework.
  • I am trying my best to learn English although it is a difficult language.

Exercise 6. The following sentences are about my classmates . Join two simple sentences into a complex one with the subordinating conjunctions given. Use commas where necessary.

Example : 

At 9 am yesterday, Jose was listening to the radio. He was driving to Harper. (while)

Complex:  At 9 am yesterday, Jose was listening to the radio while he was driving to Harper.

  • Priti has decided to travel to Aruba during the semester break. She has always been interested in its culture. (because)
  • This is Amy’s first year in the U.S. She speaks English fluently. (although)
  • Lilly did not wake up early on time yesterday. She missed the first part of the class. (as)
  • Yuri started an ESL class. He arrived in this city. (as soon as)
  • Max had never used a computer. He liked his first online class. (even though)
  • Misako ran into her former classmate. She was looking for her new textbook in the bookstore. (while)
  • At the end of last semester, Kang Sun returned to Korea to visit her family . She had saved enough money for a plane ticket. (after)
  • The next semester starts two months later. Every student needs to decide what classes to take. (before)

VII. Sentence Variety

Just like a balanced diet that keeps the body healthy, a good piece of writing also uses a variety of sentences including simple, compound, and complex structures. Here are some strategies to help you achieve that.

  • Try not to repeat the same conjunctions. It is common to overuse [6] words like “and”, “because”. Try a different expression. For example, you may replace “and” with “in addition” and replace “because” with “since”. Change the sentence structure and punctuation accordingly [7] .
  • When you finish writing, count how many simple, compound, and complex sentences you have included. Ideally, the number of each should be comparable [8] . For example, if there are ten simple sentences and only two complex ones, you may combine some of the simple ones to form one or two more complex sentences. On the other hand, too many compound and complex sentences may be hard to read, and you can improve your writing by changing some of them to simple sentences.

Read the following two paragraphs. Count the number of different sentence types in each paragraph. Discuss which paragraph is better and why.

Fast Track information session announcement on College website

Fast Track Programs

          Harper College has special programs called “Fast Track”. Some students want to finish their study fast. They can choose this option. There are different fast track certificate programs. Each is five to eight weeks long. The certificates include business management, human resources management, web design and interactive media, and others. Each program has a limited number of students, so they can get more personalized [9] interaction with professors. Classes are usually from 6 pm to 10 pm. Students can still work during the day. Besides the certificate programs, there are also fast track degree programs in AAS Degree (Associate in Applied Science) in Business Administration and AAS Degree in Supply Chain Management. Students do not always need to start from the beginning because they can get credit from their previous college or work experience.  The fast track programs are convenient and beneficial for many students. It may not suit everyone. The best way to start is to attend an information meeting.

Adapted from https://www.harpercollege.edu/fasttrack/index.php . Last retrieved on November 4, 2021.

In this above paragraph, there are 12 simple sentences, 1 compound sentence, and 1 complex sentence .

          Harper College has special programs called “Fast Track”. If some students want to finish their study fast, they can choose this option. There are different fast track certificate programs, and each is five to eight weeks long. The certificates include business management, human resources management, web design and interactive media, and others. Each program has limited number of students, so they can get more personalized interaction with professors. Since classes are usually from 6 pm to 10 pm, students can still work during the day. Besides the certificate programs, there are also fast track degree programs in Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Business Administration and AAS Degree in Supply Chain Management. Students do not always need to start from the beginning because they can get credit from their previous college or work experience.  The fast track programs are convenient and beneficial for many students; however, it may not suit everyone. The best way to start is to attend an information meeting.

In the #2 improved version, there are 4 simple sentences, 3 compound sentence, and 3 complex sentences.  Work with your partner to identify each type of sentences. Discuss why #2 is better.

Exercise 7. Choose a paragraph you have written this semester and try the following:

  • Count how many simple, compound, and complex sentences are in it.
  • In what ways can you edit some of them so that the whole piece has a better balance of different structures?

VIII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 8. Read the following paragraph about the student clubs at Harper College. Identify the types of structures of the underlined sentences. In the boxes, type “simple” for a simple sentence, “compound” for a compound sentence, and “complex” for a complex sentence. The first one is an example.  You will get instant feedback on your answers. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

International Students Club doing community service at Feed My Starving Children

Exercise 9. Read the following paragraph about different ways people learn. Identify the types of structures of the underlined sentences. In the boxes, type “simple” for a simple sentence, “compound” for a compound sentence, and “complex” for a complex sentence. The first one is an example.  You will get instant feedback on your answers. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

Exercise 10. Read the paragraph below about the writer’s learning and working experiences. It has too many simple sentences. Combine the underlined simple sentences into compound or complex sentences with the conjunctions given.

I came to the United States. I had never touched a computer (before).

Before I came to the United States, I had never touched a computer.

Learning and Hoping

        Learning and hoping keep me going. Two years ago, I got a job at a company called TechInnova.  Now I use the computer at work every day. I came to the United States. I had never touched a computer ( before ). It did not take me very long to learn basic computer skills. I had already taken a course in typing ( for ).  I left my country four years ago. I had finished secretarial school ( by the time ).  I was looking for a job here, I took a course in information technology ( while ).  Soon I found the job at TechInnova. I have continued to learn new things since then.  For example, now I am learning web design through the Fast Track program at Harper College.  My company is paying half the tuition for me. I am grateful for that ( and ). The program is very intensive. I am very busy  ( therefore ).  The new skills have boosted my self-confidence and made me feel more hopeful for my future.

Exercise 11. Choose and highlight the most appropriate conjunction for each blank in the paragraph below about learning to play the piano. Look carefully at the punctuation before you decide. The first one is an example. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.

black and white keys on a piano

Exercise 12. Read the following paragraph about my uncle and me. There are five more mistakes in the use of commas (not including the example). Find them and correct them. The first one is an example.

My Uncle and I

          My uncle has had a very positive influence on me in several ways. He came from Pakistan to the U.S. in the 1990s and has made a life for himself and his extended family. First he (First, he…) sponsored me to come to the U.S. a year ago. He made it possible for me to have a chance for a better life. For instance, I am now living in a much cleaner, and safer environment. Second his accomplishments [10] have reminded me to work hard for my own life and for the life of my family. My uncle had worked as a waiter, a construction worker, and a newspaper delivery man before he enrolled at Harper College with a major in business ten years ago. He is now working as regional manager for a food company. He loves his job. Thanks to my uncle, I started a new life, as soon as I arrived here. I have followed his footsteps and have been working very hard since last year. My dream is to work in a finance field so I have been taking math and English as a Second Language courses to prepare for my major. Meanwhile, I have not abandoned [11] my hobby – swimming. I swim a few times a week in the college swimming pool. My uncle always says, that a good future needs good health. I am thankful to my uncle for the inspirations [12] and opportunities.

Exercise 13. Use the suggested conjunctions to expand the following simple sentences by adding one more clause to make new and meaningful compound or complex sentences. Use proper punctuation in each sentence. Share your sentences with your partner.

Example :       

I love my community college . ( for , as a result, because)

My sentence:  I love my community college, for there are many interesting classes like piano and drawing.

My sentence:  I love my community college ; as a result, I am enjoying my study there.

My sentence:  I love my community college because it is close to my home.

  • Many people come to the community college. (since, in addition, because)
  • Some young people prefer four-year universities. (so, consequently, although)
  • Nothing is perfect in all areas. (however, nor, since)
  • It all depends on which option works better for each student. (therefore, and, when)

  NSNT Practice

a pen writing in a notebook

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts for Writing in Appendix A. ( Open Appendix A here. ) Choose two topics that you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then revise and edit at least your paragraphs.  Include some compound and complex structures. Pay attention to punctuation. You are encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other improve.

Vocabulary Review

a page in a dictionary

The words here have appeared in this unit.  The best way to learn them is to guess the meaning of each word from the context.  Then hover your computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

  • A phrase is two or more words used together to form part of meaning but not complete meaning. It does not have a “subject + verb” structure.
  • Every sentence must explain a complete idea and have a subject and a verb.
  • The most basic sentence parts are subject, verb, object, and subject complement.
  • The most basic sentence patterns are
  • Subject + verb
  • Subject + verb + object
  • Subject + linking verb + subject complement (noun or adjective)
  • Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object
  • There + a form of “be”
  • A simple sentence is an independent clause with one subject-verb group.
  • A compound sentence has two independent clauses with two subject-verb groups. They are connected by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) or an adverbial conjunction such as “moreover” or “however”.
  • A complex sentence has one dependent clause (a subordinating conjunction + subject + verb) and one independent clause (subject + verb).
  • It is important to include a variety of sentence types in writing.

Media Attributions

  • frame at entrance of Early Childhood Lab School at Harper College © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
  • Building D at Harper College © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
  • a single person smiling and holding a skateboard © Photo by Monstera from Pexels
  • William Rainey Harper statue on Harper Campus © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
  • a couple with a heart in between © Photo by Josh Hild from Pexels
  • University Center at Harper College © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
  • a parent with a baby © Image by Prawny from Pixabay
  • Fast Track information session as appeared on Harper College website © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
  • International Students Club at Feed My Starving Children © Kathleen Reynolds is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
  • black and white keys on a piano © Photo by Amir Doreh on Unsplash
  • a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
  • a page in a dictionary © Pixabay
  • energetic: adjective, active, full of energy ↵
  • premier: adjective, first in rank, leading ↵
  • choppy: adjective, broken, not connected ↵
  • accomplished: adjective, successful in doing something ↵
  • resemble: verb, is similar to ↵
  • overuse: verb, use too many times ↵
  • accordingly: adverb, as a result, therefore ↵
  • comparable: adjective, similar ↵
  • personalized: adjective, customized, according to the needs of each person ↵
  • accomplishment: noun, success, achievement ↵
  • abandon: verb, give up ↵
  • inspiration: noun, good influence, example ↵

In writing context, FANBOYS is an acronym for one of the coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

Building Academic Writing Skills Copyright © 2022 by Cui, Lin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Simple Sentences: Definition, Examples, & Exercises

  • The Albert Team
  • Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

simple sentences

Do you remember the first time you learned how to write a sentence? Most of us are taught how to put three words together to make sentences in kindergarten: I like dogs. She eats cookies. Games are fun! Sound familiar? These three-word sentences are one of the most basic types of simple sentences , and they serve as a foundation to forming more complex sentences. However, simple sentences are not always as simple as three-word sentences. 

In this post we’ll review what simple sentences are, the parts of a simple sentence, and different ways to create simple sentences. 

Once you’re feeling confident, test yourself with a post-assessment quiz and practice with our high quality, standards-aligned questions here .

What We Review

The Basics of Simple Sentences

The Basics of Simple Sentences

What are Simple Sentences?

A simple sentence is a sentence containing only one clause, or more specifically, an independent clause, with a subject and a predicate. 

A simple sentence is typically made up of a subject , verb , and object , or SVO , and creates a complete thought;  however, since a simple predicate is a verb or verb phrase only, a simple sentence can also be made up of only a subject and verb (SV).

SVO - Simple Sentences

Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)

  • Jessie ate dinner.

Subject + Verb (SV)

  • Jessie ate.

Both of these examples are grammatically correct simple sentences, but including an object helps to clarify the full idea of the sentence.

Despite their name, simple sentences can include things that are not so simple. Let’s review the use of modifiers , compound subjects , and compound verbs/predicates in simple sentences.

Modifiers in Simple Sentences

Modifiers in Simple Sentences

Modifiers are words or phrases that can be included in simple sentences to add more detail. Let’s see how we can modify the simple sentence used above:

Adding Articles/Adjectives

  • The hungry Jessie ate a large dinner.

Adding Adverbs

  • The hungry Jessie quickly ate a very large dinner.

Adding a Prepositional Phrase

  • The hungry Jessie quickly ate a very large dinner after a long day at work .

All of these examples still qualify as simple sentences, because they are all independent clauses that convey a complete thought.

Pro Tip: Ask yourself how the sentence is changed as a result of a modifier.

Compound Subjects in Simple Sentences

Compound subjects are two or more nouns or pronouns sharing the same verb. They are joined using coordinate or correlative conjunctions.

Compound Subjects Using Coordinate Conjunctions

  • Jessie and Jade ate dinner.
  • Jessie or Jade ate dinner.
  • Jessie, Jade, and Titus ate dinner.

Compound Subjects Using Correlative Conjunctions

  • Both Jessie and Jade ate dinner.
  • Neither Jessie nor Jade ate dinner.

Even with two or more simple subjects, these examples are independent clauses conveying a complete thought, so they are still simple sentences.

Compound Verbs/Predicates in Simple Sentences

Compound Verbs/Predicates in Simple Sentences

Compound verbs, or compound predicates, are two or more verbs/predicates that share the same subject. This may be written as simply as a subject performing multiple verbs (simple predicates) or, more elaborately, as a subject performing multiple complete predicates. The compound verbs/predicates are joined by a conjunction.

Compound Verbs/Simple Predicates

  • Jessie cooked and ate dinner.
  • Jessie rinsed and washed the dishes.

Compound Predicates

  • Jessie ate dinner and washed the dishes .
  • Jessie cooked dinner and rinsed the dishes

Again, these examples are all independent clauses conveying a complete thought. So even with multiple verbs, a sentence can be a simple sentence.

Return to the Table of Contents

Tips for Using and Identifying Simple Sentences

simple sentence on assignment

Tip #1: Subject + Verb + Object (SVO) Simple Sentences Can be Arranged in Different Ways.

While a simple sentence is typically expected to contain a subject, verb, and object, this does not always mean that the subject will be the first thing we see in a sentence. When we place parts of the predicate at the beginning of the sentence or ask a question, the standard SVO arrangement of a simple sentence will vary.

Placing a Part of the Predicate Before the Subject

When the predicate, or verb + object portion of the sentence contains a prepositional phrase or adverb, they can appear at the beginning of the sentence followed by a comma. Check out the following examples to see sentences in both their standard forms and rearranged forms:

Prepositional Phrase:

  • We completed our homework after school .
  • After school , we completed our homework.
  • I ran quickly to the store.
  • Quickly , I ran to the store.

Asking a Question

Sentences that ask a question are called interrogative sentences, and they are often simple sentences. Some questions start with the main verb or part of the verb phrase. Look at the examples below to see the placement of the verb in both a question and the statement form of the question:

  • Will it rain tomorrow?
  • It will rain tomorrow.  
  • Has the race been postponed?
  • The race has been postponed.
  • Were you sick today?
  • You were sick today.

Tip #2: Avoid using too many basic simple sentences in your writing.

Remember, basic simple sentences are the first type of sentence we learn how to write. So it’s probably safe to assume that filling our writing with three or four word sentences is not the best idea. Too many simple sentences close together can sound choppy and disconnected. Always revise your work to see where simple sentences can be edited to create more sophisticated writing.

Combine Simple Sentences

If you have a string of very basic simple sentences in your writing, you can probably combine some of those sentences into compound sentences.

  • He loves baseball. He first played little league baseball. He joined the baseball team in middle school.
  • He loves baseball and played little league before joining the baseball team in middle school.

Tip #3: Add more detail.

There’s nothing wrong with using simple sentences in your writing, but you can (and should) use modifiers to enhance simple sentences when possible.

Basic Simple Sentence:

  • I visited Chichén Itzá.
  • On my vacation to Mexico, I visited the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá.

Applying the Basics: Simple Sentences Review & Practice

Now that you understand what simple sentences are, and how to use them properly in your writing, let’s practice identifying them. Remember, a simple sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause, or one complete thought.

Simple Sentences Exercises & Review

Complete the quick exercise below to assess your mastery of simple sentences.

Determine if the sentence is a simple sentence or not.

1. I finally received my passport for our trip overseas.

  • Simple Sentence

2. Last week, she told the funniest joke in the middle of the meeting.

3. Tim went to the store, and he bought a new laptop for school.

  • Not a Simple Sentence

4. Julie and Paige went to the amusement park and rode a rollercoaster.

5. I was exhausted after working all day.

For additional practice, check out the Simple Sentences content on Albert.

Try for Yourself: Simple Sentences Quiz

simple sentence on assignment

Feeling confident in your understanding of Simple Sentences?

Take this short quiz to see what you’ve learned:

1. Can a simple sentence have more than one subject?

  • Answer: Yes
  • Correct Explanation: That’s right! A simple sentence can have more than one subject, or a compound subject, if they are sharing the same verb. The subjects are joined using coordinate or correlative conjunctions.
  • Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. A simple sentence can have more than one subject, or a compound subject, if they are sharing the same verb. The subjects are joined using coordinate or correlative conjunctions.

2. Can a simple sentence be a single dependent clause?

  • Correct Explanation: That’s right! A simple sentence must be a single independent clause in order to be a simple sentence. It is a complete thought and can stand alone. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete thought.
  • Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete thought. A simple sentence must be a single independent clause in order to be a simple sentence. It is a complete thought and can stand alone.

3. Can a simple sentence have more than one verb?

  • Correct Explanation: That’s right! A simple sentence can have more than one verb ( compound verb/simple predicate ) or more than one complete predicate ( compound predicate ) if they share the same subject. They are combined using a conjunction.
  • Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. A simple sentence can have more than one verb ( compound verb/simple predicate ) or more than one complete predicate ( compound predicate ) if they share the same subject. They are combined using a conjunction.

4. Does a simple sentence always start with the subject?

  • Correct Explanation: That’s right! A simple sentence can start with part of the predicate. This might be a prepositional phrase, and adverb, or a question.
  • Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. A simple sentence can start with part of the predicate. This might be a prepositional phrase, and adverb, or a question.

5. Is the following example a simple sentence?

After eating breakfast, Hayley went to dance practice, and she prepared for her performance.

  • Correct Explanation: That’s right! A simple sentence can have more than one predicate when that predicate shares the same subject. In this sentence, there are two independent clauses: After eating breakfast, Hayley went to dance practice. She prepared for her performance.
  • Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. A simple sentence can have more than one predicate when that predicate shares the same subject. In this sentence, there are two independent clauses: After eating breakfast, Hayley went to dance practice. She prepared for her performance.

6. Is the following example a simple sentence?

Jim and Amy thoroughly cleared out the basement and hired contractors for a remodel.

  • Correct Explanation: That’s right! A simple sentence can have compound subjects and compound predicates as long as they form one complete thought. The subjects share the predicates, and the predicates share the subjects . In this case, the compound subject “Jim and Amy” share the compound predicates “thoroughly cleared out the basement” and “hired contractors for a remodel.”
  • Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. A simple sentence can have compound subjects and compound predicates as long as they form one complete thought. The subjects share the predicates, and the predicates share the subjects . In this case, the compound subject “Jim and Amy” share the compound predicates “thoroughly cleared out the basement” and “hired contractors for a remodel.”

For additional practice with simple sentences, check out our completely free practice on Albert.io: Simple Sentences .

Teacher’s Corner for Simple Sentences

While it’s true that simple sentences are a foundational grammar skill, the Common Core English Language Progressive Skills Chart shows that even elementary-level skills “require continued attention in higher grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking.” 

For specific standards addressing simple sentences, check out the Common Core State Standards site! 

Albert’s grammar course is 100% free, and the Simple Sentences practices can be used for much more than homework! 

Our assessments can be used as pre-and post-tests to measure student progress. Our pre-made quizzes can be used as bell-ringers, exit tickets, and more! 

In addition to our pre-made assessments, you can also use our assignments feature to create your own quizzes and assessments.

Summary on Simple Sentences

Simple sentences are sentences containing one independent clause, with a subject and a predicate.

Modifiers, compound subjects, and compound verbs/predicates can be used in simple sentences.

The standard arrangement of a simple sentence is subject + verb + object, or SVO order. This can vary by arranging parts of the predicate before the subject.

Practice makes perfect! Use our Simple Sentences practice on Albert’s completely free grammar course !

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5 Effective Tips for Students to Write a Good Assignment

Table of contents, 1. start with a good introduction, 2. structure the body with some supporting evidence, 3. use short sentences and easy-to-read wording, 4. sign-off with a strong conclusion, 5. properly cite the references where needed.

Often teachers give assignments to their students to test their understanding of the material and their ability to express themselves clearly and concisely. But not all students succeed in doing that. So, if you are one of those unlucky students who couldn’t get the required grades in previous assignments, this blog post is for you. Here, we’ll share five practical tips to help you write a top-notch assignment.

5 Effective Tips for Perfect Assignment Writing for Students

An assignment aims to test your understanding of the material. But you can only convey your knowledge better if you know how to write a perfect assignment. So, if perfect assignment writing sounds like a daunting task to you, then use the following tips:

Whenever you start a conversation, you introduce yourself first. Therefore, you should begin writing your assignment with the same approach.

The introduction of an assignment sets its tone. So, it must be engaging. However, creating a compelling introduction is easier said than done. So, consider the following points while writing an assignment’s introduction:

  • Include key arguments.
  • Add a bit of context by discussing some pieces of background information.
  • Discuss the key issues related to your topic and how you plan to answer them in your assignment.

Let’s see how Griffith University writes a compelling introduction by practically implementing the above-discussed points (University).

1. Tips to write a good assignment

As you can see in the above picture, the writer informs the readers about the assignment’s scope, aim and structure. So, that’s how you can shape your assignment’s introduction. But remember to keep the introduction as concise and captivating as possible because its goal is to hook the readers and catch their attention quickly.

A well-written introduction is like a promise because it makes a commitment to the readers about the information they will find in a writing piece. And when it comes to keeping that promise, the body of a writing piece plays its role. Therefore, tip number two for writing a good assignment is to structure the body of your topic with proper evidence.

The introduction might be the most crucial part of an assignment because it catches the readers’ attention. But the body is the main part of an assignment, as it holds 60-80% of weightage. In fact, the grade you obtain in a paper mostly depends on the content of the body part. Therefore, it must contain all the necessary information to help you score an A.

The length of the body part varies according to the nature of the topic. But a general rule of thumb is to follow the same structure for each paragraph of the body part. So, take assistance from the following assignment format while writing the content for its body part:

  • Introduce each paragraph in the body with an argument or idea. And for discussing an idea, you can take assistance from a topic or focus sentence because it clarifies the purpose of a paragraph.
  • Always support the discussed argument (or idea) with relevant evidence. And for that, you can take assistance from examples, facts and statistics.

Here is an example of how ThoughtCo writes a perfect paragraph with the help of a topic sentence and relevant evidence (Nordquist, 2007):

2. Effective tips for an assignment

Moving on , there are different ways of adding examples, facts and statistics. For instance, you can use infographics, pictures, tables, graphs, charts, or other data representation forms to support the evidence in an assignment. However, if you are using some information from an existing source, it is essential to give credit to the owner of that source. Otherwise, the material of your assignment will become plagiarized.

Note: See the last tip of this guide to get more information regarding citing sources.

Discussing arguments and relevant evidence are not enough to make a top-notch assignment. That’s because the content of the assignment must be easy to skim through. And using short sentences and easy-to-read wording is the best way to write such content, which is the third tip of this guide.

Students often think that good content is one with a fancy vocabulary. But that’s not the case. In fact, readers get distracted when they have to specifically search for the meaning of a word while reading the content. So, to prevent that from happening, you can write the content of your assignment using short sentences and easy-to-read wording.

However, using short sentences and easy-to-read wording should not impact the formal writing tone of an assignment. Otherwise, your instructor won’t hesitate to give you a bad grade on your work. So, the goal is to write the assignment in an academic tone without using complex vocabulary.

But sometimes, writer’s block can stop the flow of creative juices, which makes it challenging to write properly. Even professional writers face this issue.

A good way to end writer’s block is to use online AI-based tools . Paraphrasing tools in particular can be helpful in this situation. How? Since paraphrasing tools reword the input text and give it a new look, it can give you new and fresh ideas about how you can start writing.

To explain this better, let’s take a look at an example. We’ll use two different tools for the example.

First, we’ll take a sample text with long sentences and complicated vocabulary here.

Sample Text: The manifold intricacies of the human condition are often overlooked in contemporary discourse, as the proclivity for simplicity and instant gratification has led to a paucity of nuanced understanding. The proliferation of technology and the subsequent atomization of society has exacerbated this trend, as the ability to curate one’s own information has led to the entrenchment of cognitive biases and the erosion of empathic faculties.

Then, we’ll run the ‘Sample Text’ into the aforementioned AI paraphrasing tools. So, after running the sample text into the tools mentioned above, we’ve got the following outputs:

3. Comparison Quillbot vs Paraphrase

The output of Quillbot AI paraphrasing tool

Comparison Paraphraser

The output of Paraphraser.io AI paraphrasing tool

As you can see in the above pictures, both tools have converted the vocabulary to easy wording and worked on the sentences’ length. You can get inspiration by looking at the output given by the tools and then start writing your own stuff from a new angle.

Generally, students put all their efforts into writing an assignment’s introduction and body parts. However, when writing conclusive remarks about their work, students either leave it empty or write an irrelevant conclusion. And that’s where they miss the trick.

Just like the introduction and body, having a strong conclusion is another vital aspect of a perfectly written assignment. In fact, when instructors are in a hurry, they only focus on the conclusion part of an assignment. Therefore, it is essential to include a perfect conclusion. And here are some tips you can use to write an ideal conclusion:

  • A strong or perfect conclusion summarizes a topic’s main arguments based on your key takeaways.
  • Although you can highlight the areas that need further research while writing a conclusion, you must refrain from introducing any new concepts.

Thus, you can add concluding remarks to your assignment using the above-mentioned vital factors. But if you want a helping hand in summarizing the essential ideas of your assignment, you can use an AI-based summary generator.

Many tools are available for generating a summary through technical assistance. But not all of them work on cutting-edge technology. And that’s why some tools often generate irrelevant outputs.

Considering the above, we personally recommend using Summarizer.org for creating summaries. Since this tool is equipped with AI, it can create smart summaries from the input text. Let’s give you an example using the same sample text that we used above.

5. Comparison of writing tools

The output of Summarizer.org’s text summarizer

Nobody knows everything. In fact, even your instructors don’t know everything. Therefore, the last tip for writing a perfect assignment is to give credit where due. And you can do that by citing the sources.

In an academic paper, it is essential to reference the sources used to create the content properly. This practice allows for transparency and will enable readers to easily trace the origin of the data and authenticate it for themselves. So, you should not skip this part.

When it comes to citing the sources, there are a few things you should understand:

  • Any statement that represents common knowledge will not need a citation.
  • Anything (included from an existing source) other than common knowledge will require proper acknowledgment.

When it comes to acknowledging the sources correctly, you must choose a proper citation style, as there are different styles available. But let’s briefly discuss the pattern of the most common citation styles here (Pittsburgh, 2010):

1. APA (American Psychology Association)

If you want to cite the reference in the APA style, here is the styling guideline of the 7th edition of APA:

APA (American Psychology Association)

Suppose Chicago is the required citation style in your assignment. In such a situation, you can take assistance from the following patterns to cite your references in the Chicago style:

Chicago citations style

3. MLA (Modern Language Association)

The following picture will guide you regarding the styling pattern of the MLA (8th edition) citation style:

Source 3. MLA (Modern Language Association)

Since each institute has its own citation policy, we recommend reading the requirements carefully before writing an assignment. This way, you can identify the required citation style. However, if no citation style is specified in the requirements, you can ask your instructor because it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Thus, after identifying the required citation style, cite all the references in your assignment according to that style. Otherwise, you’ll end up losing your grades.

Writing a good assignment is challenging because it involves several pre-writing, actual writing and post-writing tips. But you can achieve this task more effectively by only focusing on understanding the assignment prompt, planning your work, using formal and easy-to-read language, using evidence to support your claims and proofreading your work. So, read the above discussion to learn the implementation of these tips with examples.

Thus, by following the above-discussed tips and putting in the necessary effort, you can write assignments that will impress your teachers and earn good grades. Remember that practice makes perfect. So, don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time. Keep working on your academic writing skills and you will see the improvement over time.

References:

  • Nordquist, R. (2007, February 12, 2020). What Is a Topic Sentence? ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/topic-sentence-composition-1692551
  • Pittsburgh, U. o. (2010, October 11, 2022). Citation Styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, IEEE. University of Pittsburgh. https://pitt.libguides.com/citationhelp
  • University, G. Structure Assignments. Griffith University. https://www.griffith.edu.au/library/study/write-assignments/structure

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ASSIGNATION in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Assignation

sentence with Assignation

Have you ever heard of the word “assignation” and wondered what it means? In simple terms, an assignation refers to the act of giving or assigning something, such as a task, duty, or role, to someone.

Assignation can also be used to describe a secret or private meeting, especially between lovers or individuals who wish to keep their interaction discreet. This word can encompass various contexts, from formal work assignments to clandestine rendezvous.

Table of Contents

7 Examples Of Assignation Used In a Sentence For Kids

  • Assignation means to give someone a task.
  • Teachers assignation homework for students to complete.
  • The principal will assignation different roles for the school play.
  • Parents can assignation chores to their children at home.
  • In class, the teacher may assignation partners for group work.
  • Students can assignation a special job during a school event.
  • During a game, players can assignation each other roles to play.

14 Sentences with Assignation Examples

  • Assignation of project topics will be done by your professors next week.
  • Have you checked the assignation of exam centers for the upcoming semester?
  • We need to finalize the assignation of roles for our group presentation.
  • Do you know the deadline for the assignation of elective courses for next semester?
  • The assignation of mentors for the internship program will be announced soon.
  • Please refer to the notice board for the assignation of seminar slots.
  • The assignation of study material for the upcoming quiz has been uploaded on the online portal.
  • Have you received the assignation for the group project submission dates?
  • The assignation of classroom for the guest lecture has been changed to the auditorium.
  • Submit your preferences for the assignation of hostel rooms for the next academic year.
  • The assignation of practical sessions for the chemistry lab will begin next month.
  • The faculty will announce the assignation of book titles for the literature review assignment on Friday.
  • I missed the announcement for the assignation of slots for the mock interview sessions.
  • Please check your emails for the assignation of additional reading materials for the upcoming workshop.

How To Use Assignation in Sentences?

Assignation is a word used to describe the act of assigning someone a task or responsibility. To use “assignation” correctly in a sentence, you can follow these simple steps.

Firstly, identify the task or responsibility that you would like to refer to in your sentence.

Next, think about who or what is being assigned this task or responsibility. Make sure to include this in your sentence.

Then, place the word “assignation” in your sentence at the point where you want to refer to the act of assigning the task or responsibility.

For example: “The boss’s assignation of the important project to Sarah shows his trust in her abilities.”

In this sentence, “assignation” is used to emphasize the act of assigning the project to Sarah by her boss.

Lastly, make sure the rest of your sentence is clear and grammatically correct to ensure your message is effectively conveyed.

Overall, using assignation in a sentence should be straightforward once you understand its meaning. Just remember to incorporate it in a way that clearly conveys the act of assigning a task or responsibility to someone or something.

In conclusion, sentences with the keyword “assignation” refer to the act of assigning or allocating something, typically a task or role, to someone or something else. This term highlights the intentional delegation of responsibilities or duties to specific individuals or entities. Examples of sentences using this term can include, “The assignation of projects among team members was carefully planned to ensure equitable distribution of workloads” or “The assignation of blame was unjust as multiple factors contributed to the problem.”

Assignation plays a crucial role in organization and efficiency, allowing for clear directives and accountability within various contexts, such as work environments, legal proceedings, or personal arrangements. Understanding the implications of assignation in communication and decision-making processes can facilitate effective delegation and coordination among individuals or groups.

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Grammar: Sentence Structure and Types of Sentences

Definitions and examples of basic sentence elements.

The Mastering the Mechanics webinar series also describes required sentence elements and varying sentence types. Please see these archived webinars for more information.

Key: Yellow, bold = subject; green underline = verb, blue, italics = object, pink, regular font = prepositional phrase

Independent clause : An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a subject and a verb and is a complete idea.

  • I like spaghetti .
  • He reads many books .

Dependent clause : A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be attached to an independent clause to become complete. This is also known as a subordinate clause.

  • Although I like spaghetti,…
  • Because he reads many books,…

Subject : A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that does an action. Determine the subject in a sentence by asking the question “Who or what?”

  • I like spaghetti.
  • He reads many books.

Verb : Expresses what the person, animal, place, thing, or concept does. Determine the verb in a sentence by asking the question “What was the action or what happened?”

  • The movie is good. (The be verb is also sometimes referred to as a copula or a linking verb. It links the subject, in this case "the movie," to the complement or the predicate of the sentence, in this case, "good.")

Object : A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that receives the action. Determine the object in a sentence by asking the question “The subject did what?” or “To whom?/For whom?”

Prepositional Phrase : A phrase that begins with a preposition (i.e., in, at for, behind, until, after, of, during) and modifies a word in the sentence. A prepositional phrase answers one of many questions. Here are a few examples: “Where? When? In what way?”

  • I like spaghetti for dinner .
  • He reads many books in the library .

English Sentence Structure

The following statements are true about sentences in English:

  • H e obtained his degree.
  • He obtained his degree .
  • Smith he obtained his degree.
  • He obtained his degree.
  • He (subject) obtained (verb) his degree (object).

Simple Sentences

A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have an object and modifiers. However, it contains only one independent clause.

Key: Yellow, bold = subject; green underline = verb, blue, italics = object, pink, regular font =prepositional phrase

Here are a few examples:

  • She wrote .
  • She completed her literature review .
  • He organized his sources by theme .
  • They studied APA rules for many hours .

Compound Sentences

A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses.  These two independent clauses can be combined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon .

Key: independent clause = yellow, bold ; comma  or semicolon = pink, regular font ; coordinating conjunction = green, underlined

  • She completed her literature review , and she created her reference list .
  • He organized his sources by theme ; then, he updated his reference list .
  • They studied APA rules for many hours , but they realized there was still much to learn .

Using some compound sentences in writing allows for more sentence variety .

Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Dependent clauses can refer to the subject (who, which) the sequence/time (since, while), or the causal elements (because, if) of the independent clause.

If a sentence begins with a dependent clause, note the comma after this clause. If, on the other hand, the sentence begins with an independent clause, there is not a comma separating the two clauses.

Key: independent clause = yellow, bold ; comma = pink, regular font ; dependent clause = blue, italics

  • Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
  • Note that there is no comma in this sentence because it begins with an independent clause.
  • Using some complex sentences in writing allows for more sentence variety .

Compound-Complex Sentences

Sentence types can also be combined. A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Key: independent clause = yellow, bold ; comma  or semicolon = pink, regular font ; coordinating conjunction = green, underlined ; dependent clause = blue, italics

  • She completed her literature review , but she still needs to work on her methods section even though she finished her methods course last semester .
  • Although he organized his sources by theme , he decided to arrange them chronologically , and he carefully followed the MEAL plan for organization . 
  • With pizza and soda at hand , they studied APA rules for many hours , and they decided that writing in APA made sense because it was clear, concise, and objective .
  • Using some complex-compound sentences in writing allows for more sentence variety .
  • Pay close attention to comma usage in complex-compound sentences so that the reader is easily able to follow the intended meaning.

Sentence Structure Video Playlist

Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

  • Structuring Sentences: Types of Sentences (video transcript)
  • Structuring Sentences: Simple Sentences (video transcript)
  • Structuring Sentences: Compound Sentences (video transcript)
  • Structuring Sentences: Complex Sentences (video transcript)
  • Structuring Sentences: Combining Sentences (video transcript)
  • Common Error: Unclear Subjects (video transcript)
  • Mastering the Mechanics: Punctuation as Symbols (video transcript)
  • Mastering the Mechanics: Commas (video transcript)
  • Mastering the Mechanics: Periods (video transcript)
  • Mastering the Mechanics: Semicolons (video transcript)

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Assignment in a sentence

simple sentence on assignment

  • 某某   2016-01-13 联网相关的政策
  • characteristic  (273+4)
  • reject  (233+5)
  • accuse  (158+5)
  • fishing  (202+25)
  • legislation  (216+25)
  • hat  (296+54)
  • typically  (224+14)
  • solid  (258+36)
  • gate  (155+30)
  • secretary  (252+60)
  • narrow  (224+43)
  • Jew  (118+1)
  • AIDS  (269+16)
  • rural  (243+16)
  • expose  (212+11)
  • cable  (176+20)
  • invest  (217+18)
  • decline  (299+17)
  • engineer  (192+18)
  • massive  (279+40)

simple sentence on assignment

Sentences Worksheets

Simple sentences worksheets.

A simple sentence is a sentence structure that contains one independent clause and no dependent clauses. It contains a simple subject and simple predicate. These Simple Sentences worksheets are for students at the beginner and intermediate level.

Our Simple Sentences Worksheets are free to download and easy to access in PDF format. Use these Simple Sentences Worksheets at school or at home.

a. Grades K-5 Simple Sentences Worksheets b. Grades 6-8 Simple Sentences Worksheets c. Grades 9-12 Simple Sentences Worksheets

Here is a graphic preview for all the kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade Simple Sentences Worksheets. Click on the image to display our PDF worksheet.

Word Order Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 1

Word Order Simple Sentences Worksheet

Word Order Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 2

Word Order Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 2

Word Order Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 3

Word Order Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 3

Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Circling Simple Sentences Worksheet

Circling Simple Sentences Worksheet

Sentence or Not Simple Sentences Worksheet

Sentence or Not Simple Sentences Worksheet

Capitalizing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Capitalizing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Sentence or Fragment Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 1

Sentence or Fragment Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 1

Sentence or Fragment Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 2

Sentence or Fragment Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 2

Re-Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 1

Re-Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 1

Re-Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 2

Re-Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 2

Re-Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 3

Re-Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 3

Grades 6-8 Simple Sentences Worksheets

Here is a graphic preview for all the 6th grade, 7th grade and 8th grade Simple Sentences Worksheets. Click on the image to display our PDF worksheet.

Writing with Simple Sentences Worksheet

Writing with Simple Sentences Worksheet

Circling Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 1

Circling Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 1

Circling Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 2

Circling Simple Sentences Worksheet Part 2

Underlining Simple Sentences Worksheet

Underlining Simple Sentences Worksheet

Learning Simple Sentences Worksheet

Learning Simple Sentences Worksheet

Sentence or Fragment Simple Sentences Worksheet

Sentence or Fragment Simple Sentences Worksheet

Re-Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Re-Writing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Completing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Completing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Grades 9-12 Simple Sentences Worksheets

Here is a graphic preview for all the 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade and 12th grade Simple Sentences Worksheets. Click on the image to display our PDF worksheet.

Practicing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Practicing Simple Sentences Worksheet

Underlining Simple Sentence Worksheet

Underlining Simple Sentence Worksheet

Fun with Simple Sentences Worksheet

Fun with Simple Sentences Worksheet

Sentence or Sentence Fragment Simple Sentences Worksheet

Sentence or Sentence Fragment Simple Sentences Worksheet

COMMENTS

  1. Examples of "Assignment" in a Sentence

    Tenant right is assignable, and will pass under an assignment of "all the estate and interest" of the outgoing tenant in the farm. 19. 8. The assignment system was eventually abandoned in consequence of its moral and economic evils, but it cannot be denied that while it lasted the colony made substantial progress. 21.

  2. ASSIGNMENT in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Assignment

    Assignment is a task or piece of work that someone is given to do. It can also refer to the allocation of a particular task or job to someone. To use the word assignment in a sentence, simply place it in the context of giving or receiving a task. For example, "The teacher handed out the math assignment to the students" or "I have a new ...

  3. How To Use "Assignment" In A Sentence: Exploring The Term

    Examples Of Using Assignment In A Sentence. When it comes to incorporating the word "assignment" into a sentence, it is crucial to showcase its versatility and various contexts. By utilizing a combination of simple and complex sentences, we can shed light on the different nuances associated with this term. Let's explore some examples: 1.

  4. Understanding Assignments

    What this handout is about. The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms ...

  5. assignment in a sentence

    Examples of assignment in a sentence, how to use it. 98 examples: Apart from that, there is a suspicion that programming without assignments or…

  6. Examples of 'assignment' in a sentence

    We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more…. I settled for a short hop across the Channel on a work assignment. Times, Sunday Times. ( 2016) His first assignment was to write a program for an insurance broker in Dorset, using assembly code. Times, Sunday Times.

  7. Assignment: In a Sentence

    Definition of Assignment. a particular task or duty that one is expected to complete. Examples of Assignment in a sentence. On assignment for the Washington Post, the reporter combed the city in search of information. The student's math assignment was too difficult, so he asked his teacher for help completing it.

  8. Simple Sentences in English: 50 Examples

    Simple sentences in the Future Simple Tense. I will visit my parents next weekend. She'll finish her project by tomorrow. They will go on vacation next month. We'll have dinner at a fancy restaurant tonight. He will start his new job next week. I won't attend the party tomorrow. She won't buy a new car this year.

  9. How to Start an Assignment Right: Tips and Examples

    3. Get Inspired by Our Introduction Examples. 4. Professional Writing Help Online. As most students will agree, knowing how to start an assignment is already half of the challenge solved because it helps to set the scene for writing and create an outline. No matter what type of essay may be requested, it has to achieve three primary goals: to ...

  10. assignment

    Definition of assignment noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  11. assignment noun

    1 [countable, uncountable] a task or piece of work that someone is given to do, usually as part of their job or studies You will need to complete three written assignments per semester. She is in Greece on an assignment for one of the Sunday newspapers. one of our reporters on assignment in China I had given myself a tough assignment. a business/special assignment

  12. Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

    Subject + verb + direct object. We are taking a writing class. I like my classmates. 4. Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object. The professor gives the students homework assignments. The students left the professor a note yesterday. 5. There + a form of "be" verb.

  13. Simple Sentences: Definition, Examples, & Exercises

    A simple sentence is a sentence containing only one clause, or more specifically, an independent clause, with a subject and a predicate. A simple sentence is typically made up of a subject, verb, and object, or SVO, and creates a complete thought; however, since a simple predicate is a verb or verb phrase only, a simple sentence can also be ...

  14. 5 Effective Tips for Students to Write a Good Assignment

    5 Effective Tips for Perfect Assignment Writing for Students. 1. Start With a Good Introduction. 2. Structure the Body With Some Supporting Evidence. 3. Use Short Sentences and Easy-to-Read Wording. 4. Sign-Off With a Strong Conclusion.

  15. ASSIGNATION in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Assignation

    To use "assignation" correctly in a sentence, you can follow these simple steps. Firstly, identify the task or responsibility that you would like to refer to in your sentence. Next, think about who or what is being assigned this task or responsibility. Make sure to include this in your sentence. Then, place the word "assignation" in ...

  16. Examples of "Assign" in a Sentence

    1. 0. Assign a specific egg color for each team. 1. 0. He brought existential propositions, indeed, within a rational system through the principle that it must be feasible to assign a sufficient reason for them, but he refused to bring them under the conception of identity or necessity, i.e. 0. 0.

  17. Sentence Structure and Types of Sentences

    A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have an object and modifiers. However, it contains only one independent clause. Key: Yellow, bold = subject; green underline = verb, blue, italics = object, pink, regular font =prepositional phrase. Here are a few examples: She wrote.

  18. 37 Simple Sentence Examples and Worksheet

    Use these 37 simple sentence examples and the accompanying worksheet to help you understand this type of sentence, which has only one independent clause.

  19. Formal Writing Assignments

    Structure the Assignment Sheet Clearly. Many of us create assignments that are too long-and students need to decode them in order to move forward. When students see a full page (or more) of text on an assignment sheet, they often feel overwhelmed. Similarly, if students see only one sentence, they may feel that they do not know where to go next.

  20. How To Use "Assigned" In A Sentence: In-Depth Exploration

    3. Proper Use of Prepositions: When using "assigned" in a sentence, it is crucial to pair it with the correct preposition to convey the intended meaning. Common prepositions used with "assigned" include "to," "for," and "with.". Consider the following examples: The professor assigned a research paper to the students.

  21. Assignment in a sentence (esp. good sentence like quote, proverb...)

    264+16 sentence examples: 1. She's gone to Italy on a special assignment. 2. He has got a new assignment for you. 3. I've been working at my assignment all day. 4. He's made a monumental cock-up of his first assignment. 5.

  22. Sentences Worksheets

    Our Simple Sentences Worksheets are free to download and easy to access in PDF format. Use these Simple Sentences Worksheets at school or at home. a. Grades K-5 Simple Sentences Worksheets. b. Grades 6-8 Simple Sentences Worksheets. Here is a graphic preview for all the kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade ...