COMPLEX SENTENCES
1. A complex sentence is made up of a Main clause and one or more Subordinate Clauses or
Phrases.
2. The Main Clause is the part of the sentence which stands on its own as a sentence.
eg
canis latrat
The dog barked.
3. To find the Main Clause you need to first find all the Subordinate Clauses.
Here are the main kinds of Subordinate Clauses and Phrases:
Subordinate clauses
(i) Causal clauses introduced by quod and cum
eg quod severus est, dominus a servis timetur.
(ii) Time clauses expressing time when
These are introduced by words such as postquam, dum, ubi, simulac and followed by the indicative
eg postquam epistulam tuam accepi miserrimus eram
After I received your letter I was very
miserable
(iii) Time clauses with cum and the subjunctive
eg cives, cum hostes appropinquarent, perterriti erant. The citizens, when the enemies were
approaching, were terrified.
(iv) Relative clauses – introduced by some case of qui, quae or quod.
eg ancilla quam omnes amant pulcherrima est.
The slave girl whom everyone loves is very
beautiful.
(iv) Clauses beginning with quamquam (although)
These are introduced by quamquam
eg quamquam bene laboravi, nullum praemium accepi.
Although I worked well, I received
no reward.
(vii) If + indicative clauses
These are introduced by si - if
eg si bene laboratis, nos omnes gaudemus
If you work well, we shall all rejoice.
(v) Indirect command or prohibition
These are introduced by verbs such as imperare, iubere, monere, orare.
(a) The verb iubere is followed by the accusative and infinitive construction
eg senator nautas in portu laborare iussit.
The senator ordered the sailors to work in the harbour.
(b) Other verbs of ordering, asking, begging are followed by ut and the subjunctive
eg dominus servo imperavit ut cibum in hortum portaret.
The master ordered the slave to
carry the food into the garden.
(c) Negative commands are followed by ne and the subjunctive
eg dominus servo monuit ne cibum in hortum portaret
The master warned the slave not to
carry the food into the garden.
(vi) Indirect question
eg These are usually introduced by verbs of asking or knowing such as rogare , scire, nescire and
question words such as cur, quid, quo modo and verbs are in the subjunctive.
eg mater me iterum quid facerem rogavit.
The mother again asked me what I was doing.
(vii) Indirect statement (using accusative and infinitive construction). Indirect statements are
introduced by verbs of saying, hoping, thinking, deciding.
For example: Democritus dicit innumerabiles mundos esse.
Democritus says that there are innumerable worlds.
(viii) Purpose clause introduced by ut meaning in order to plus verb in the subjunctive.
eg senex ad urbem ambulavit ut librum emeret.
The old man walked to the city in order to
buy a book.
(ix) Purpose clauses introduced by ad plus the gerundive – meaning in order to
eg misit nuntios ad regem necandum.
He sent messengers [in order] to kill the king.
(x) Result clauses signposted by eg tam, adeo, tantus, tot and introduced by ut plus verb in the
subjunctive.
eg dominus tam saevus erat ut omnes servi timerent.
The master was so fierce that all the slaves
were terrified.
(xi) Fearing clauses introduced by timeo + ne and verb in the imperfect subjunctive.
eg timebam ne hostes advenirent.
I was afraid that the enemies might arrive.
Phrases
(i) Participial phrases: these are phrases including present, perfect or future participles.
eg timeo Danaos dona ferentes.
I fear Greeks bearing gifts.
territi clamoribus cives dormire non poterant.
morituri te salutamus
Terrified by shouts, the citizens could not sleep.
We who are about to die salute you.
(ii) Ablative absolute phrases
These are phrases including participles and nouns in the ablative case eg
senex, servo vocato, librum dedit.
The old man,when the slave had been called gave him the book.
(iii) Prepositional phrases
These are introduced by prepositions such as: ad, apud, post, prope, cum, in pro
eg milites circum muros urbis ambulabant.
The soldiers were walking around the walls of the city.
(iv) Expressions of time
eg illa nocte – that night , multos dies – for many days
TRANSLATING COMPLEX SENTENCES
1. Read the whole sentence through from beginning to end.
2. Every sentence has a main clause (the part of the sentence which stands on its own as a
sentence). Find it. You may need to identify all the subordinate clauses and phrases first.
3. Find the main verb in the main clause.
4. Find the subject if there is one outside the verb (pay attention to the person of the verb and the
case of any nouns).
5. Find the direct object if there is one.
6. Find the indirect object if there is one.
7. Translate the main clause.
8. Find and translate each subordinate clause.
9. Put the sentence together again. Remember that actions are narrated in the order in which they
occur.
APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE
In the exercise below, underline each subordinate clause and phrase (ideally with a different sort of
underlining for each one) for each sentence, circle the main clause and then translate.
The sentences are from a story called Aeneas seeks a new home
1. illa nocte ubi Graeci urbem ceperunt, omnes Troiani, qui non interfecti erant, in agros prope urbem
convenerunt.
2. parati erant Aenean ad novam terram sequi.
3. cum trans montem Idam ivissent, prima luce ad mare advenerunt.
4. navibus ibi aedificatibus, tandem profecti sunt, lacrimantes quod numquam iterum patriam visuri
erant.
5. Aeneas et Troiani multos dies navigabant.
6. postquam ad parvam insulam advenerunt, ubi templum Apollinis erat, deum oraverunt ut novam
domum sibi daret.