Complex Sentences
Day 5
An Independent Clause is any combination of Subject + Verb Phrase that may stand together on its own as a sentence.
Simple Sentence (IC):
Led Zeppelin
perfected rock music.
Subject
Verb Phrase
Compound Sentence (IC + IC): Led Zeppelin perfected rock music, but I
Subject
Complex Sentence (IC + DC):
I
Verb Phrase
still like Black Sabbath more
Subject
still like Black Sabbath more.
Subject
because they
Verb Phrase
Subject
Verb Phrase
invented heavier riffs.
Verb Phrase
Dependent Clause
A Dependent Clause (DC) is a clause which has all the ingredients of an Independent Clause (Subject + Verb Phrase)
except that it must attach itself to an Independent Clause with a subordinating conjunction. A Dependent Clause
standing alone without an Independent Clause will sound odd, out of place, and incomplete if read aloud.
Dependent Clause (DC):
Because
they
Subord. Conj
invented heavier riffs.
Subject
Verb Phrase
To make the above Dependent Clause grammatically sound, it must attach to an Independent Clause, thus creating a
Complex Sentence.
I
Subject
like Black Sabbath
because they
Verb Phrase
Independent Clause
Black Sabbath
Subject
is better than Led Zeppelin
Verb Phrase
Independent Clause
Subject
invented heavier riffs.
Verb Phrase
Dependent Clause
because they
Subject
invented heavier riffs.
Verb Phrase
Dependent Clause
Dependent Clauses may come before or after an Independent Clause:
Because they
invented heavier riffs,
Subject
Black Sabbath
Verb Phrase
is better than Led Zeppelin.
Subject
Dependent Clause
Verb Phrase
Independent Clause
Remember:
-
When a Dependent Clause comes before an Independent Clause, it must use a comma to separate itself from
the Independent Clause. A Dependent Clause coming after is does not require a comma to separate the two.
A Complex Sentence may contain several Dependent Clauses attaching to 1 Independent Clause
Periodic Sentence: a circumstance where an author consciously uses Dependent Clauses (and oftentimes many
additional phrases too) before the Independent Clause for the sake of showing how a sentence gradually unfolds
itself to the readers.
Common Subordinating Conjunctions:
after
although
as
as far as
as soon as
as if
as though
because
before
even though
though
how
if
in case
insofar as
in that
lest
whereas
now that
unless until
once
provided that
since
so that
supposing that
why
whether
wherever
whenever
when
till
that
while
All of the subordinating conjunctions above will start Dependent Clauses (DC) which will act as adverbs. There are
Dependent Clauses which act like adjectives and nouns, but for our current purpose of identifying DCs and spotting
coordinating conjunctions and identifying Dependent Clauses, these will be the only ones we look at for the time being.
The italicized words in the list are the ones which appear most frequently in writing.
***A word of caution: just because you see a subordinating conjunction in a sentence, it doesn’t guarantee 100% of the
time that you have a Dependent Clause. Make sure that when you spot a subordinating conjunction that it contains the
ingredients to actually be a Dependent Clause.***
Simple Sentence: Ozzy Osbourne
Subject
Complex Sentence: Ozzy Osbourne
Subject
sang for Black Sabbath until 1979.
Verb Phrase
sang for Black Sabbath
Verb Phrase
Independent Clause
until Ronnie James Dio
Subject
replaced him.
Verb Phrase
Dependent Clause
Practice Sentences
Directions: Analyze the following sentences, labeling each Independent Clause and Dependent Clause. Then, determine
whether the sentence is Simple, Compound or Complex.
1.) When Anders got kicked off the swim team, he lost his scholarship.
2.) Even though Walt White has built an illicit drug empire, people should still respect him since it was so
improbable and initially for pure reasons.
3.) Because he isn’t the only one to see Wilfred in a dog suit, is Ryan truly crazy?
4.) I was all about the Dothraki until Khal Drogo died.
5.) Workaholics is funny, but I always feel dumber after watching it.
6.) Will Walt go after Jesse since he crossed him and worked with Hank?
7.) Ryan’s mom sees her cat as a woman in a cat suit.
8.) As I continue to read Game of Thrones, I find Sansa and Catelyn to be excessive whiners.
9.) TeleAmeriCorp is a symbol of lifeless corporate America whether you realize it or not.
10.) Do you believe that Breaking Bad unfairly pigeonholes New Mexico as trashy?