A complex sentence has at least one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which.
- I read the book (which) you gave me yesterday.
- They jumped into the pool when the referee whistles.
- She didn’t do well at the test because she was sick.
- Since there is no milk left in the fridge, let’s buy some.
Additionally, The sentences containing relative or adjective clauses are complex.
How many sentence forms are there?
The flexibility of language styles makes it possible to use different forms to express oneself in different ways depending on what you want to say and how you want to say it. So …
I. Those sentences looking for answers take the form of questions and always end in a question mark. We call them …
- Examples
- What’s your name?
- How many books have you read so far?
- Will you close the window please?
- How much does the jacket cost?
- Did Leila invite you to her wedding party?
- It is very cold outside, isn’t it?
- How often do you connect to the Internet?
- Have you finished reading this yet?
II. Those which give direct orders, commands or advice and also often express prohibition. We call them …
- Examples
- You must call the police right now.
- You should respect the elderly.
- Bring it up here.
- You can’t park your car here.
- You aren’t allowed to smoke in public places.
- Stand up.
III. Those which show that we are astonished or surprised and always end in an exclamation mark. We simply call them …
- Examples
- What a wonderful move !
- That’s amazing !
- How delicious couscous is !
- That little boy solved the problem !
IV. But those which state facts, arguments or indirect questions We call them …
- Examples
- Rabat is the capital city of Morocco.
- Water is a liquid.
- I always thought that love is sacred.
- She wanted to know how old I was.
V. But those which discuss factual implications or hypothetical situations and their consequences are called
- Examples
- If I have enough money, I'll help the poor.
- If he were a bird, the hunter would shoot him.
- If you had invited her, she would have come.
All of them could be Affirmative or Negative.
Phrases and Clauses
Some sentences are composed of many phrases and clauses. They are parts of the sentence and they rarely work independently.
The Phrase
A phrase is a fragment that consists of more than a word and it conveys no meaning by itself as it lacks the subject.
There are many sorts of phrases:
- Adpositional phrase
- Postpositional phrase
- Prepositional phrase
- Noun phrase
- Pronominal phrase
- Verb phrase
- Phrasal verbs
The Clause
Some sentences could contain more than one clause. They are two types:
- MAIN CLAUSE: Independent clause
- SUBORDONATE CLAUSE: Depends on the main clause
EXAMPLE:
I feel tired because I work hard.
While I was taking a walk, I came across my primary school teacher.
- I came across my primary school teacher can be a whole sentence. So it is the main clause.
- While I was taking a walk is subordinate to the main clause. You notice that its meaning isn’t complete. It depends on what the main clause says.
There are many sorts of clauses
Relative clauses
These are the most frequently used either in writing or in speaking. They are introduced by:
| Who |
whom |
whose |
which |
that |
EXAMPLES
- The boy who solved the problem is my nephew.
- The man whom you were talking to for a while is his father.
- The lady whose eyes are blue is his mother.
- The briefcase which is over there is his.
And « that » replaces « who », « which » and often « whom » in many situations and it is mostly used in Spoken English.
Relative clauses can be restrictive or non-restrictive. Restrictive ones take commas but non-restrictive don’t. Get More
Relative clauses
These are also used very so often and they are introduced by:
EXAMPLES
- We visited the house where Shakespeare was born.
- This is the reason why she wanted to go to Stratford.
- She went there in the day when the house was being mended.
Coordinate clauses
These are usually in pairs and they are subordinated one to the other by:
I will cook dinner and she will do the washing up.
( 1 ) ( 2 )
Ali speaks four languages but Nadia speaks only one.
( 1 ) ( 2 )
I will revise my lessons or I will do my homework.
( 1 ) ( 2 )
Existential clauses
Mostly used in stories. It indicates a true to life or imaginary existence of a person or a thing.
Its form is always:
| THERE + was/were + noun clause |
EXAMPLES
- There was a beautiful little princess…
- There were some huge ugly giants…
The existential clause is often used to invite readers to make some interpretations.
Nominal clause
Is a subordinate clause that functions as a noun phrase.
- I think that it’s alright.
- From where he is, he could see the match.
N.B: A complement clause is a nominal clause.
Some More clauses
- Equative clause e.g. She is young / she = young
- Finite clause is used with a finite verb
- Nonfinite clause is used with a non-finite verb like the infinitive.
- Medial clause or nonfinal clause is distinguished in a clause chain
- Reference clause where the subject is an argument
- Final clause is a distinguished clause in a clause chain
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Subject
The subject is who or what the sentence is talking about, usually a noun or pronoun like in these sentences
- Ali is a Moroccan student
- I am working on the computer.
- A sentence is a group of words…
- They live next to the bank.
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Verb
The verb tells what the subject "is" or "does".
- Ali is a Moroccan student.
- I am working on the computer.
- The cat drinks milk.
- They live next to the bank.
- We are fine.
There are two sorts of verbs
- Transitive verb has an object or two : I play football. | She gives him a present
- Intransitive verb doesn't have an object: They swim.
N.B: Some verbs can be transitive and intransitive:
- He smokes a cigarette.
- He smokes.
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