SENTENCES STRUCTURE (3)

The Complex Sentence

Main Source:First Steps in Academic Writing (Level 2)Second EditionBy: Ann HoguePearson Longman

Abdulaziz Assanosiazizsanosi@gmail.com

Previously-Studied Types of Sentences

The Simple SentenceA combination of subject-verb.

I read the book.

The Compound SentenceTwo simple sentences connected by a comma and a

subordinating conjunction like and, but, or and so.

My father studied medicine, but my mother studied education.

clausesTo learn about complex sentences you should

understand what clauses are.

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.

So every sentence is a clause .

But not every clause is a sentence !! Why?

Consider the meaningfulness condition of sentence.

Types of clauses

There are two types of clauses:

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

DEPENDENT CLAUSE

DEPENDENT CLAUSEINDEPENDENT CLAUSE

After he slept.He slept

Before I left the room.I left the room.

Because my father is a doctorMy father is a doctor.

When it rained.It rained

Until we went home.We went home.

How to identify clauses

Independent clauses have complete meaning, they can stand alone, they have no subordinators.

Dependent clauses have no complete meaning, they need another clause to complete their meaning, they start with subordinator.

Now practice by writing (IC) or (DC) before clauses, page 79.

Time SubordinatorsMainly, Adverb subordinators define dependent

clauses. Here are some time subordinators.

Time subordinators

After

As soon as

Before

Since

Until

When

Whenever

While

Complex Sentences

A complex sentence has one independent clause and one (or more) dependent clause/s.

I feel a bad headache whenever I talk much.

Whenever she passes a test, she makes a party.

While she was cooking, her baby slept.

He was studying while we were out.

BE ATTENTION OF COMMA USAGE.

TO ANLAYZE COMPLEX SENTENCES

You should consider the following:

The independent clause.

The dependent clause.

The time subordinator.

Comma usage

Practice on page 80

Sentence Errors

We have learnt about the sentence errors (RUN-ONS) and (COMMA SPLICE).

There is a another kind of errors called (FRAGMENT)

Before the teacher comes.

As soon as they arrived.

Its dependent clause, to fix the error complete the sentence with a suitable independent clause.

Summary of the three types of sentences.

A simple sentence

•Has one independent clause.

•You like cookies.

A compound

sentence

•Has two ICs joined by a comma and a Coordinating Conj.

•You like cookies, but I like donuts.

A complexsentence

•Has one IC and one (or more) DC. Subordinator and a comma

•Because you like cookies, I will buy you some.

PRACTICE

Identify the different types of sentences in page (83).

Don’t forget to determine dependent and

independent clauses as shown in the question.

Abdul Aziz Assanosi