Compound-complex sentences

What are the building blocks?

• Independent Clause: A complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb. Think of it as a simple sentence.

  • Example: The dog barked. (Dog = subject, barked = verb)

• Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause): A clause that has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence. It starts with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. It needs an independent clause to complete its meaning.

  • Examples:
    • Because it was raining... (Because = subordinating conjunction)
    • Which I bought yesterday... (Which = relative pronoun)

• Coordinating Conjunction: Words that connect two independent clauses. Think of the acronym FANBOYS:

  • For
  • And
  • Nor
  • But
  • Or
  • Yet
  • So

What is a Compound-Complex Sentence?

A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.  

Formula:

Dependent Clause + Independent Clause + Coordinating Conjunction + Independent Clause

(But remember, there can be more than one of each clause type!)

Example 1 (Following the formula closely):

• Because the game was starting soon, (Dependent Clause) we hurried to the stadium, (Independent Clause) but we forgot our tickets. (Independent Clause)

Example 2 (More complex, showing variety):

• Although she was nervous, (Dependent Clause) she took a deep breath (Independent Clause) and walked onto the stage, where the audience cheered wildly. (Independent Clause with a relative clause "where the audience cheered wildly" functioning as an adverbial modifier).

Example 3 (Another variation):

• My cat, who is very fluffy, (Dependent Clause - relative clause) loves to nap in sunbeams, (Independent Clause) and he always purrs loudly when I pet him. (Independent Clause)

How to Identify Compound-Complex Sentences:

1. Look for coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS): These usually indicate the presence of at least two independent clauses.
2. Look for subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, although, if, since, when, while, etc.) or relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that): These signal the presence of dependent clauses.
3. Check if there are at least two clauses that could stand alone as sentences (independent clauses).
4. Make sure there is at least one clause that cannot stand alone (dependent clause).

Why Use Compound-Complex Sentences?

They allow you to express more complex and nuanced ideas by:

• Showing cause-and-effect relationships (using dependent clauses).
• Combining multiple related thoughts into one sentence (using independent clauses and coordinating conjunctions).
• Adding descriptive details and background information (using dependent clauses).

Practice:

Try to identify the different clauses in these sentences:

1. Even though it was raining, I went for a walk, and I enjoyed the fresh air.
2. The book, which I borrowed from the library, was very interesting, but it was too long.
3. Because the store was crowded, we decided to come back later, or we could try a different location.

Once you can identify the parts, writing compound-complex sentences becomes much easier! Let me know if you'd like more examples or have any other questions. 

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By Jerry Ramonyai