Compound-complex sentences

 Alright, let's break down compound-complex sentences! They sound intimidating, but once you understand the individual parts, they become much clearer.

First, let's review the building blocks:

• Independent Clause (Main Clause): This is a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete idea.

  • Example: The dog barked. (Subject: dog, Verb: barked)
  • Example: She went to the store. (Subject: She, Verb: went)

• Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause): This is a group of words that has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence. It relies on an independent clause to complete its meaning. Dependent clauses often begin with subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns.  

  • Subordinating Conjunctions: These words connect a dependent clause to an independent clause and indicate a relationship (e.g., because, although, since, while, if, when, as, until, before, after).
    • Example: Because it was raining (This doesn't make sense on its own)
  • Relative Pronouns: These words (who, whom, whose, which, that) introduce relative clauses, which act like adjectives modifying nouns.
    • Example: who lives next door (This needs more context)

Now, let's put them together to form compound and complex sentences:

• Compound Sentence: This sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by:

  • A coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)
    • Example: The sun was shining, and the birds were singing. (Two independent clauses)
     
  • A semicolon (;)
    • Example: The rain stopped; the sun came out. (Two independent clauses)
  • A conjunctive adverb (e.g., however, therefore, moreover, furthermore) preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma.
    • Example: She studied diligently; therefore, she passed the exam. (Two independent clauses)

• Complex Sentence: This sentence contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

  • Example: Because it was raining, we stayed inside. (Dependent clause + Independent clause)
  • Example: We will go to the park after we finish lunch. (Independent clause + Dependent clause)
  • Example: The book that I borrowed from the library is very interesting. (Independent clause + Dependent clause)

Finally, the Compound-Complex Sentence:

A compound-complex sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses AND at least one dependent clause.  

Think of it as combining the features of both compound and complex sentences.

Here's the formula:

(Independent Clause) + (Coordinating Conjunction/Semicolon/Conjunctive Adverb) + (Independent Clause) + (Dependent Clause)

OR

(Dependent Clause) + (Independent Clause) + (Coordinating Conjunction/Semicolon/Conjunctive Adverb) + (Independent Clause)

OR other variations where you have at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Let's look at some examples:

1. Because the power went out, we couldn't watch TV, so we decided to play a board game.

   • Dependent Clause: Because the power went out
   • Independent Clause 1: we couldn't watch TV
   • Coordinating Conjunction: so
   • Independent Clause 2: we decided to play a board game

2. Although it was late, Maria wanted to finish her homework, and she stayed up for another hour.

   • Dependent Clause: Although it was late
   • Independent Clause 1: Maria wanted to finish her homework
   • Coordinating Conjunction: and
   • Independent Clause 2: she stayed up for another hour

3. The dog barked loudly when the mail carrier arrived, and then he wagged his tail excitedly.

   • Independent Clause 1: The dog barked loudly
   • Dependent Clause: when the mail carrier arrived
   • Coordinating Conjunction: and then
   • Independent Clause 2: he wagged his tail excitedly

4. Since the weather was beautiful, they went for a hike; they enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine.

   • Dependent Clause: Since the weather was beautiful
   • Independent Clause 1: they went for a hike
   • Semicolon: ;
   • Independent Clause 2: they enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine

Key Takeaways for Compound-Complex Sentences:

• You need at least two independent clauses.
• You need at least one dependent clause.
• The clauses are connected using coordinating conjunctions, semicolons, conjunctive adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns.

Practice Time!

Can you identify the independent and dependent clauses in the following sentences?

1. After the rain stopped, the sun came out, and the birds began to sing.
2. Because he studied hard, John aced the test, but he was still nervous about the results.
3. The movie that we watched last night was very long; however, we all enjoyed it.

Understanding compound-complex sentences will make your writing more sophisticated and allow you to express more complex relationships between ideas. Let me know if you'd like more examples or practice exercises!