Complex Sentences

Front

What is a complex sentence?

Back

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

Front

What are the components of a complex sentence?

Back

An independent clause and a dependent clause.

Front

Identify a correctly written complex sentence: "When I was a baby, my dad was in the army."

Back

This is a correctly written complex sentence.

Front

Identify a complex sentence: "She dropped the plate, and her food tumbled down to the floor."

Back

This is not a complex sentence; it is a compound sentence.

Front

Identify a complex sentence: "Although they found the newspaper interesting, they didn't read it all."

Back

This is a complex sentence.

Front

What punctuation is used to separate the clauses in a complex sentence?

Back

A comma is often used to separate the dependent clause from the independent clause when the dependent clause comes first.

Front

What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.

Front

What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a group of words that has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

Front

Which of the following is a dependent clause? "Although I was tired"

Back

This is a dependent clause because it does not express a complete thought.

Front

What is the purpose of a complex sentence?

Back

Complex sentences allow writers to show relationships between ideas, such as cause and effect, contrast, or condition.