
Khan Academy. Complex sentences are simple sentences with dependent or subordinate clauses added to them. Paige and Rosie explain how to spot them and use them in this video.
What are 10 examples of complex sentences?
What are 10 examples of complex sentence? 10 Complex Sentences in English. Although my friends begged me, I chose not to go to the reunion. Many people enjoyed the movie; however, Alex did not. Although the farmer is ready, the ground is still too wet to plow. If the ozone layer collapses, the global community will suffer.
What are examples of complex sentences?
Complex Sentences from Literature
- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. - Walden, Henry David Thoreau
- The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood up in a corner and kept quiet all night, although of course they could not sleep. ...
- Because he was so small, Stuart was often hard to find around the house. ...
Which are examples of complex sentences?
Examples of Complex Sentences
- Having a party is a bad idea because the neighbors will complain.
- I am extremely happy since I retired.
- The dog jumped on his lap while he was eating.
- Annie was still crying, although she had been happy about the news.
What is an example of a complex sentence?
Here are four examples of complex sentences where the dependent clause comes first:
- When I was a child, I love playing baseball.
- As you may know, writing with correct English grammar can be challenging.
- Since summer is around the corner, we all bought new bathing suits.
- Because she was late for work, she was frustrated.

What are complex sentences?
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.
What is a complex sentence for kids?
A complex sentence is a sentence that is made up of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Independent clauses have a subject and a simple predicate and can stand alone as a sentence. For example, Mice love cheese.
What is a complex sentence 7th grade?
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause in a complex sentence usually begins with a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun. Subordinating conjunctions include after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, and while.
What are 5 examples of complex sentences?
Common Complex Sentence ExamplesBecause my coffee was too cold, I heated it in the microwave.Although he was wealthy, he was still unhappy.She returned the computer after she noticed it was damaged.Whenever prices go up, customers buy fewer products.More items...
What is a complex sentence 6th grade?
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction such as after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, or while. If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids.
What is a complex sentence Year 6?
A complex sentence is formed by adding one or more subordinate (dependent) clauses to the main (independent) clause using conjunctions and/or relative pronouns. A clause is a simple sentence. Simple sentences contain only one clause (verb group).
How can you tell if a sentence is complex?
If two clauses are connected with a coordinating conjunction, it's a compound sentence. If two clauses are connected with a subordinating conjunction, it's a complex sentence.
What are 10 examples of complex sentences?
30 Complex Sentences ExamplesAli wants to attend this meeting but her family issues restrained him.As soon as Adam leaves the class, I will start reading loud.Even though we were rich, we drive antique cars.He cannot come with you, he have to go to office.He didn't want to go to the dentist, though he is very sick.More items...
How do you write a complex sentence example?
A complex sentence consists of at least one independent clause (simple sentence) and one or more dependent clauses....Complex sentence.ExampleExplanationwhen it rainssubordinator = when, subject = it, verb = rainsafter we eatsubordinator = after, subject = we, verb = eat3 more rows
How do you teach complex sentences?
Starting with Independent and Dependent Clauses, using the 5 Ws, using Subordinating Conjunction, Sandwich Sentences and fun games are some of the most effective ways to teach Complex Sentences to the students. Using these can bring improvement in children's writing.
How do you identify simple compound and complex sentences?
A dependent clause contains a subject and a verb, but no complete thought.A SIMPLE SENTENCE has one independent clause. ... A COMPOUND SENTENCE has two independent clauses joined by. ... A COMPLEX SENTENCE has one dependent clause (headed by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun ) joined to an independent clause.More items...
What is a complex and compound sentence examples?
Example: Because the soup was too cold, I warmed it in the microwave. A compound-complex sentence is comprised of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. Example: Though Mitchell prefers watching romantic films, he rented the latest spy thriller, and he enjoyed it very much.
What is a compound sentence?
A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses. A complex sentence has at least one independent clause plus at least one dependent clause. ... A sentence consisting of at least one dependent clause and at least two independent clauses may be called a complex-compound sentence or compound-complex sentence.
What is the difference between a compound sentence and a simple sentence?
A compound sentence contains more than one! Put another way: a simple sentence contains a subject and a predicate, but a compound sentence contains more than one subject and more than one predicate. But David why does the compound sentence have more subject and predicate than the simple sentence.
Where to find dependent clauses?
Dependent clauses can be found at the beginning of sentences normally and look like this: "Without looking back, Timothy walked away.". or alternatively they could be at the end like "Timothy ate pasta because he was hungry" where "because he was hungry" would be the dependent clause without a comma.
Is "it is not a compound-complex" a sentence?
It is not a compound-complex sentence. Here is an example of one: Legend is told that there once was a boy who lived in Africa, and this boy stuck his tongue so far that it reached the heavens and touched a star, which burned him rather badly. Comment on Matthew's post “It is not a compound-comp...”.
What is a complex sentence?
A complex sentence is a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. It works best when you need to provide more information to explain or modify your sentence’s main point. Complex sentences are easy to spot as they often use subordinating conjunctions like because, since, or until to connect clauses.
Why is one sentence complete but not the other?
However, both clauses contain a subject and a verb, so why is one a complete sentence but not the other? The short answer is that dependent clauses always start with subordinating conjunctions. In a way, these subordinating conjunctions turn independent clauses into dependent ones.
What is conditional sentence?
One of the most common types of complex sentences are conditional sentences, which discuss imaginary situations, often using an if-then structure. In conditional sentences, one clause is true only if both clauses are true. “If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” —Maya Angelou.
What is dependent clause?
Dependent clauses, also known as subordinate clauses, are clauses that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Without an independent clause, a dependent clause is just a sentence fragment. Incorrect: When I grow up. Correct: When I grow up, I’ll use complete sentences. One of the most common types of complex sentences are conditional sentences, ...
What does "alone" mean in a sentence?
Alone, this independent clause means that you must remain at school forever. Now, let’s add a dependent clause to make a complex sentence that clarifies things further: You cannot leave the school until the bell rings.
Can a sentence be more than one clause?
Any sentence with more than one clause—including complex sentences—cannot be simple sentences. Interestingly, you can sometimes combine two simple sentences to create one complex sentence, as long as you add a subordinate conjunction. Simple sentences: Troy ate a giant cookie. He got a stomach ache. Complex sentence:
Do you use commas in complex sentences?
Although conditional sentences get complicated, complex sentences in general have fairly easy grammar rules. As long as you’re using the right subordinate conjunction, you only have to worry about commas in complex sentences. Whether or not to use a common depends on which clause comes first:
What is a compound sentence?
A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined with a comma and coordinating conjunction, also known as the FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). In addition, you can join independent clauses with a semicolon or with a semicolon, conjunction adverb, and a comma.
What is the difference between a compound sentence and a simple sentence?
Put another way: a simple sentence contains a subject and a predicate, but a compound sentence contains more than one subject and more than one predicate. This is the currently selected item.
Is "she closed the door" a simple sentence?
This is not a simple sentence because, when divided into it's parts (She closed the door) and (went to school) the second one has no stated subject. So this is a complex sentence. EXAMPLE She watched television, and he cooked supper. This is a compound sentence, because each part has its own subject and its own verb.
Practice
Up next for you: Declarative, interrogative, and imperative sentences Get 3 of 4 questions to level up!
About this unit
Syntax involves arranging words to create logical phrases, clauses, and sentences. This is a big topic, so we'll be covering a lot, including: dependent and independent clauses; simple, complex, compound, and compound-complex sentences; and phrases and clauses.
