Page 118 - New Grammar with a Smile 8

3. Complex Sentences

A sentence which has a main clause and at least one subordinate clause is
called a complex sentence. The subordinate clause can be a noun clause, an
adjective clause or an adverb clause.

Read these sentences.
• The teacher realised that the students weren’t prepared.

• The teacher spoke to the students who weren’t prepared.
• The teacher scolded the students as they weren’t prepared.

These sentences are formed by joining an independent clause with a dependent clause
with the help of a subordinating conjunction.

Note
How to identify the type of sentence—

1. Count the number of finite verbs in the sentence. If there is only one, it is a
simple sentence.
2. If the sentence comprises only one main and one independent clause, it is a compound
sentence. The clauses are then coordinate clauses which are joined by coordinating
conjunctions.
3. If the sentence comprises a single main clause and at least one subordinate clause,
then it is a complex sentence. Each subordinate clause is introduced by a subordinating
conjunction.

This table summarises the three types of sentences based on the clauses they have.

Type of Sentence Number of Clauses Types of Clauses

Simple One Main

Compound More than one Main and Coordinate

Complex More than one Main and Subordinate

Identify these sentences as simple (S), compound (Co) or complex (Cx).

1. What goes up, comes down. Fruits

2. Go to the shop and buy some fruit.

3. What you see is what you get.

4. Have you seen or heard from Hari recently?

118