An Introduction to Complex Sentences

Simple sentenses I bought a car last week (1 Subject + 1 Verb)

There are two ways how to join simple sentences together :

We can use Coordinating conjunctions and Subordinating conjunctions

For because/since/as

And in order to

Nor after

But whereas

Or if

Yet although

So which

When we use Coordinating conjunctions we do not create complex sentences, we create compound
sentences.

Compound sentences.

e.g. I(S1) work (V1)as a teacher, and I(S2) help to pass(V2) English exams. – I took two simple and
joined them with coordinating conjunction.

Can I change the order of sentences? Can I write / say And I help to pass English exam, I work as a
teacher.

NO, the rule is that we cannot change the order of the sentences, the conjunction must be in the
middle.

Can we separate the compound sentences? Can we say I work as a teacher. And I help to pass English
exam.

YES and NO. If we separate it is very INFORMAL.

In this sentence we used “AND” that means the ADDITION. AND = Addition

Each coordinating conjunction has its meaning. Try to guess which one to choose:

1. I think I will join the local gym,.OR... I will take the yoga.
2. Research has shown that exercise can help beat depression, .SO....walking can be effective
against stress.
3. Diet is one factor in how long people live, ..BUT.. it is not the only one.
4. My grandfather smoked like a chimney, .YET...he lived until his mid-nineties.
5. The Japanese have the longest life expectancy, .FOR... they have the healthiest diet of all nations.
6. Professional athletes do not smoke, ..NOR..do they drink alcohol.
Or = alternatives (two choices) (Would you like tea or coffee?)

So = the result (I went to bed late, so I am tired now)

But = contrast

Yet = surprise + contrast

For = reason ( = because)

Nor *= also not

*Remember that we use only one negative in English sentences. When we join two sentences
together (Professional athletes do not smoke. Professional athletes do not drink alcohol.), we
remove another “not”. After NOR a sentence look like a question (inversion)
Professional athletes do not smoke, nor do they drink alcohol.
Another example
- I am not good at studying grammar nor
- I am not good at remembering rules.
We have to remove not and to make inversion am I
I am not good at studying grammar, nor am I good at remembering rules.

PRACTICE:

for and nor but or yet so

1-7. Choose the best compound coordinator from the box to join these sentences.

(1) John didn’t do any revision for the exam, __YET_____ he got the highest score in the class.

(2) The class finished early, __SO_____ I had time to go to the gym.

(3) The committee decided to allow the member to join the club, __AND_____ they also allowed him to
pay a reduced fee.

(4) The price of oil rose steeply, ___BUT____ it still remained lower than the previous year’s price.

(5) Doctors recommend eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day, ___FOR____ it helps
to prevent disease.

(6) Students who apply to the university late cannot be guaranteed a place, __NOR_____ can they be
sure that they will receive a refund of their course fees.

(7) Employees who* work late can claim an overtime payment, __OR_____ they can receive an extra
day off every month.

*who-clause = indentifying --- contains the main information about the Subject – NO COMMA
8-10. Join the 2 sentences using “nor”.

Remember that the words order after “nor” should look like a question.

e.g. I don’t eat fish. I don’t eat eggs. I don’t eat fish, nor do I eat eggs.

(8) I can’t work on Friday. I can’t stay late on Monday evening.

(9) You shouldn’t memorise sentences to use in the writing exam. You shouldn’t copy phrases from the
question. ____________________________________________________________________________

(10) The waitress didn’t take my order quickly. The waitress didn’t remember that I was a vegetarian.
____________________________________________________________________________

Complex sentences.

We use Subordinating conjunctions for complex sentences. Subordinating conjunctions show relations.

Because = reason I went to bed because I was tired.

In order to = purpose I went to the bank in order to change money.

After = time I moved to Australia after I graduated.

Whereas = contrast The price of gas is rising whereas the price of oil is falling.

If = condition If I study hard, I will pass the exam.

Is there any difference between Compound and Complex sentences?

YES. The main one is that we can change the order of sentences. I can say “Because I was tired, I
went to the bed”

However, we cannot separate them.

Complex sentence consists of a simple sentence (I went to bed) and a fragment (because I was tired).
Fragment is not a sentence!!! Sometimes it is difficult to understand if it is a fragment or not.

e.g. Unless (SUB) you(S1) have spent(V1) a lot of time learning about fragments at school or at a private
language school…. = fragment + a comma

What? the sentences is not finished. If you have the subordinator (unless), the sentence must be joined
with something else.

…..+ you won’t be able to recognize them.

One subordinator + two simple sentences

Two subordinators + three simple sentences

e.g. When I entered university after I finished my gap year... – we have two clauses (simple sentences)
and two subordinators , so we need one more sentence

.....+ I found it difficult to focus. Now the complex sentence is finished.

1. Although there have been higher number of women applying to engineering courses at
university recently – fragment + a comma, the number of male applicants remained the same.
2. I spoke to my friend as soon as I knew there was a problem. - complete
3. Even if you achieve the highest score at university – fragment + a comma, it doesn’t mean that
you know the subject / it does not guarantee that you get a well-paid job.
4. Because some students work full-time while they study – fragment + a comma, they can lose
the students fee.
5. More and more students work part-time or full-time jobs to support themselves at university. –
completed.
6. Many of my friends who did not go to college – fragment – become successful.

11-15. Look at the following sentences and decided if they are complete or a fragment (incomplete).

(11) When the girl asked if she could go to the bathroom

o Sentence (complete)

o Fragment (incomplete)

(12) Employees who work overtime are often rewarded with promotion.

o Sentence (complete)

o Fragment (incomplete)

(13) Until people understand the importance of recycling.

o Sentence (complete)

o Fragment (incomplete)

(14) Although more people are studying English today than ever before.

o Sentence (complete)

o Fragment (incomplete)

(15) Since complex sentences are so important in the IELTS exam, it is important to understand how
they work.

o Sentence (complete)

o Fragment (incomplete) for and nor but or yet so

Now let’s talk about Commas

There are two simple rules to use comma or not in compound and complex sentences.

Compound sentences = numbers of subjects

e.g. I played really well , but I (the second subject) didn’t win the match.
 In this case we put comma before the coordinative conjunction.

Compare I played golf and went swimming on Sunday. – we do not need comma before and because
there is no the second subject.

Complex sentences = position of subordinator

e.g. I was tired because I went to bed late – the subordinator is in the middle of the sentence and we do
not use a comma. However if we change the order of these sentences, we need a comma.

Because I went to bed late, I was tired.

TWO MORE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH COMPLEX SENTENCES.

Look at the sentence. Is this a good sentence or a bad one?

Although she was exhausted but she couldn’t fall asleep....

It’s a bad sentence. Because you need one sentence more than a number of subordinates. We have to
remove one of them. Remember – two subordinates , three sentences.

Another problem is called “The magic comma”.

e.g. I was a nice day, we went to the beach. --- we can’t join sentences only with a comma.

We arrived at the hotel, it was dark outside. ---- not correct also (add WHEN)

To sum up.

Simple sentences. 1 subject + 1 verb.

Compound sentences

 coordinating conjunction
 conjunction must go in the middle
 separate clauses = Informal
 comma = number of subjects

Complex sentences

 subordinator
 start or middle of sentences
 NEVER separate (creates fragment)
 Comma = position of subordinator
NO MAGIC COMMA

16-20. Look at the sentences. Do they need commas? If so, add them in the correct place.
(16) People take out loans in order to improve their standard of living

o YES

o NO

(17) As it helps them to understand their own cultural identity better studying history is vital for
children.

o YES

o NO

(18) The water was freezing so none of us went for a swim.

o YES

o NO

(19) Although tourism brings benefits to a country it can also lead to serious problems.

o YES

o NO

(20) I studied really hard for the exam but didn’t pass.

o YES

o NO

21. Read the following essay and underline all of the complex sentences.

Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and believe that change is always
negative. Others, however, prefer to take risks and think that change is always a positive thing. Discuss
both sides and give your own opinion.

People today have the possibility to transform their lives in countless ways. However, while some
people argue that making changes can cause problems in life, I agree with those who feel that making
changes results in only favourable outcomes.

On the one hand, some people argue that change always leads to hardships. They claim that when you
perform an action repeatedly, you can predict what its outcome will be and, therefore, are unlikely to
receive any unwelcome surprises. Moreover, routines can also make you more efficient. For example, if
you work in the same office your whole life, you will be able to complete tasks much more quickly
because you have built up so much experience over time.

On the other hand, I believe that making changes in life brings more rewards than remaining static. In
today’s world of constant technological change, people who try to hold onto the past and resist change
end up becoming redundant. Even if an employee wanted to work in the same company for their whole
career, it would be unlikely that they would be able to do so without seriously upgrading their skills.
Furthermore, from the perspective of personal development, if you never altered your lifestyle, you
would never give yourself the opportunity to grow as a person. I would argue that even though some
choices you make in your life might have negative consequences, it is worth experiencing these
downsides in order to gain the possible benefits of change and development.

In conclusion, although people who stick to the same routines experience less difficulties, making
changes in your life is the only way to develop as a person. Therefore, on balance, I believe that change
of any kind should be viewed as positive.