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What is a complex sentence?

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A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

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What is an independent clause?

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An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence; it has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

Front

What is a dependent clause?

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A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot stand alone as a sentence; it has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.

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Where should the comma go in the sentence: 'On the other hand I enjoy language arts.'?

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The comma should go after 'hand'.

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Where should the comma go in the sentence: 'Basically adverbs end in -ly.'?

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The comma should go after 'Basically'.

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What is the structure of a complex sentence?

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A complex sentence consists of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

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Identify the independent clause in the sentence: 'He talks about what he will eat for dinner while he eats lunch.'

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The independent clause is 'He talks about what he will eat for dinner'.

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Identify the independent clause in the sentence: 'As I walked outside for recess, he was almost certain there'd be a gold star next to his name when he returned.'

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The independent clause is 'he was almost certain there'd be a gold star next to his name when he returned.'

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What punctuation is typically used to separate independent and dependent clauses?

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A comma is typically used to separate independent and dependent clauses when the dependent clause comes first.

Front

What is the purpose of using commas in complex sentences?

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Commas are used in complex sentences to clarify meaning and indicate pauses, especially before conjunctions or after introductory clauses.