LENG1158: Sentences – Part Two

Compound Sentences, Complex Sentences (Week 1)

and Compound-Complex Sentences (Week 2 or 3)

Section One: Review of Compound Sentences

A simple sentence has a subject, a verb, and it expresses a complete idea or thought. It also has a period! Don’t forget
the period! You can connect two simple sentences with a comma and a coordinating conjunction such as and, so, but,
and or. This produces a compound sentence.

Compound Sentence
= an independent clause + a comma + a coordinating conjunction + an independent clause + a period

Independent Comm Coordinating Independent

Period
Clause a Conjunction Clause
I don’t have any money , so I’m not going out for dinner on Friday .
Working everyday isn’t fun , but I like earning my own money .
*We went to the beach on
, and the weather was beautiful .
Saturday
You could study German , or maybe you’d prefer to study Portuguese .

Look at the following pairs of simple sentences. Combine the sentences using coordinating conjunctions to create
compound sentences. Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and logic.

1. My ex-girlfriend hates me. She never answers my phone calls.

My ex-girlfriend hates me, so she never answers my phone calls.

2. Juan Pablo lived in Shanghai for two years. He speaks basic Mandarin.
Juan Pablo lived in Shanghai for two years, so he speaks basic Mandarin.

3. You can get to Chia by bus. It is cheaper than taking a taxi.

You can get to Chia by bus, but it is cheaper than taking a taxi.

4. Luz and Julio are planning a trip to Santiago, Chile. They might visit us in Bogota instead.
Luz and Julio are planning a trip to Chile, and they might visit us in Bogota instead.

5. Exercising regularly is a good way to reduce stress. I try to go to the gym a few times a week.
Exercising regularly is a good way to reduce stress, so I try to go to the gym a few times a week.
All of the following sentences have one error. Identify the error and make corrections.

1. My mother was born in Cali, but moved to Barranquilla when she was very young.
2. I have many goals for the future, and I’m going to work hard to achieve them
3. Clara and Valentina wanted to come to my birthday party, (so) but they had to study for an exam the next day.
4. Our history class is at 6:30 in the morning, so I usually go to bed early the night before.
5. My sister plays tennis and volleyball.
1 and 2 seems correct to me.

Section Two: Complex Sentences using a Variety of Subordinating Conjunctions

A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but it doesn’t express a complete idea or thought. It must be connected to
an independent clause. You probably already know how to connect dependent clauses and independent clauses using
the word because, which is one example of a subordinating conjunction. This produces a complex sentence, and it can
be written in two different ways. The punctuation rules are different in each style.

Complex Sentence (Option 1)

= an independent clause + a subordinating conjunction + a dependent clause + a period

Independent Subordinating Conjunction

Clause with a Dependent Clause Period
I am extremely busy because I have a lot of English homework .

Complex Sentence (Option 2)

= a subordinating conjunction + a dependent clause + a comma + an independent clause + a period

Subordinating Conjunction Independent

with a Dependent Clause Comma Clause Period
Because I have a lot of English homework , I am extremely busy .

In addition to because, there are other subordinating conjunctions that you need to learn. Although each subordinating
conjunction has a different meaning (and some have two meanings), they all follow the same grammatical patterns.
Study the following list of common subordinating conjunctions. You are expected to understand and to be able to use all
of them.

 after  as long as  if  when

 although/though/  as soon as  provided (that)  whenever
even though  before  since*  whereas
 as*  even if  until  while*

What do these subordinating conjunctions communicate? The ones marked with an asterisk (*) can communicate
different ideas. What are they? If there are any subordinating conjunctions that are unfamiliar to you, look them up in a
learner’s dictionary, and look at the example sentences to see how they are used.
Section Three: Choosing Appropriate Subordinating Conjunctions

Fill in the gaps with a suitable subordinating conjunction. In some cases, more than one option is possible, so write all of
the possible answers; in these cases, if the meaning of the sentence changes, what is the difference?

1. Even though I was born in Tunja, I grew up in Bogota.

2. I would like to go to the beach tomorrow even if it is raining.

3. We are going to go to the cafeteria after / As soon as / before our English class finishes.

4. As soon as / before the teacher entered the classroom, I turned off my mobile phone.

5. Even if / although he takes a taxi, he won’t arrive at his appointment on time.

6. The exam shouldn’t be too difficult if / whereas you have attended most classes and studied hard.

7. My boyfriend was sad because I told him that I had decided to study in Canada for six months.

8. Julia has been depressed since her iPhone was stolen last weekend.

9. While I was studying Biology, she was studying Chemistry.

10. Elkin would like to do a specialization in Argentina when he can afford it.

Section Four: Compound-Complex Sentences (Section Four can be completed in Week 2 or 3.)

Are you ready to take it one step further? You can combine a simple sentence with a complex sentence to create a
compound-complex sentence. Look at the examples in the table. Next, add one example sentence in the last row.

Compound-Complex Sentence (Option 1)

= an Independent Clause + a Subordinating Conjunction + a Dependent Clause + a comma
+ a coordinating conjunction + an independent clause + a period
Subordinating Conjunction Coordinating
Independent Clause Comma Independent Clause Period
with a Dependent Clause Conjunction
I went to the party even though I was tired , and I had a really great time .
He was showering when I called him , but he called me back later .
They failed the test because they didn’t study , so they shouldn’t complain .
We will see you if we eat in the cafeteria , or we can meet after that .

There are many different ways to form compound-complex sentences. We have already looked at one style, and now
we’re going to look at three more. Rewrite the sentences from the first table in the table below.

Compound-Complex Sentence (Option 2)

= a Subordinating Conjunction + a Dependent Clause + a Comma + an Independent Clause + a comma
+ a Coordinating Conjunction + an Independent Clause + a Period
Subordinating Conjunction Com Independent Clause Com Coordinating Independent Period
 with a Dependent Clause ma ma Conjunction Clause
I had a really
even though I was tired , I went to the party , and .
great time
he called me back
when I called him , He was showering , but .
later
they shouldn’t
because they didn’t study , They failed the test , so .
complain
we can meet
if we eat in the cafeteria , We will see you , or .
after that

Look at the examples in the table below. Next, add one more compound-complex sentence in the last row.

Compound-Complex Sentence (Option 3)

= an Independent Clause + a Comma + a Coordinating Conjunction + an Independent Clause
+ a Subordinating Conjunction + a Dependent Clause + a Period
Independent Coordinating Subordinating Conjunction
Comma Independent Clause Period
Clause Conjunction with a Dependent Clause
I love WOK , and I eat there often although it’s expensive .
She wanted to see Paris , but it was impossible since she had no money .
Finding a job is hard , so use your connections if you’ve got them .
Acer PCs are good , or you can get a Mac if you like Apple products .

Rewrite the sentences above in the table below. Notice the difference in punctuation.

Compound-Complex Sentence (Option 4)

= an Independent Clause + a Comma + a Coordinating Conjunction + a Subordinating Conjunction
+ a Dependent Clause + a Comma + an Independent Clause + a Period
Independent Coordinating Subordinating Conjunction
Comma Comma Independent Clause Period
Clause Conjunction with a Dependent Clause
I love WOK , and although it’s expensive , I eat there often .
She wanted to
, but since she had no money , it was impossible .
see Paris
Finding a job is use your
, so if you’ve got them , .
hard connections
Acer PCs are
, or if you like Apple products , you can get a Mac .
good