HOW TO RECOGNIZE A COMPLEX SENTENCE

DR. LAKSHMI MUTHUKUMAR, HEAD, DEPT OF ENGLISH, SIES COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) SION WEST
 CLUES TO TWO VERBAL ELEMENTS
WATCH OUT FOR A SUBORDINATING
CONJUNCTION
A DEPENDENT CLAUSE
THE PRESENCE OF A WH
WORD
THE PRESENCE OF A NON
FINITE VERB

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The Verbal Element
The Verb Phrase
How to Recognize a Complex Sentence 3
 The Verb Phrase

Examples (All these are simple

The Structure of the Verb Phrase sentences)

Verb Phrases can have either just a Main Verb
They may otherwise have zero to four auxiliaries or helping
verbs in front of the main verb
It is important to look at the verbal element as a UNIT
He sings well.
She is singing a lullaby.
We will be going to London next week.
The lockdown may have been lifted by November.
The tree might have been being shaken by the creatures.

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 INTRUDING ELEMENTS IN VERB
PHRASES
PRONOUNS
• PRONOUNS SUCH AS I, YOU, IT, HE, SHE, WE OR
THEY MAY OCCUR IN BETWEEN THE AUXILIARY
(HELPING VERB) AND THE MAIN VERB.
FOR EXAMPLE:
• MAY I ASK YOU A QUESTION?
• CAN WE ENTER THE CLASSROOM?
• ARE THEY COMING TODAY?
• WILL WE HAVE A HOLIDAY TOMORROW?
• IS IT RAINING HEAVILY?
How to Recognize a Complex Sentence
ADVERBS
• SOMETIMES ADVERBS INTRUDE IN BETWEEN
THE AUXILIARY AND THE MAIN VERB. FOR
EXAMPLE:
• THEY ARE USUALLY TIRED BY EVENING.
• THE EXERCISE MAY BE SIMPLY SOLVED IN THIS
MANNER.
• ARE THEY REALLY ARRIVING NEXT WEEK?
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 The finite and non finite verbs

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 FINITE VERBS
THE SIMPLE PRESENT AND
THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE
These are definitely located in
time and therefore show
subject verb agreement. She
swims/ they swim/she
takes/they took etc.

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 NON FINITE VERBS
THESE INCLUDE THE INFINITIVES (SUCH AS TO SWIM), ING VERBS (SUCH AS “IS SWIMMING”
OR “HAVE BEEN SWIMMING”) AND EN VERBS (SUCH AS “HAVE BEEN TAKEN”)

EXAMPLES OF COMPLEX SENTENCES:

1. Mariam takes great pains to look pretty .
2. Walking towards me, she fainted.
3. While watering the plants, I slipped.
4. Having spoken, I am glad.

How to Recognize a Complex Sentence

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 MODALITY
MODALITY INDICATES POSSIBILITY OR PROBABILITY

MODAL AUXILIARIES ALWAYS OCCUR AT THE FIRST POSITION IN THE VERB PHRASE. THEY INCLUDE
VERBS SUCH AS MAY, MIGHT, SHALL, SHOULD, CAN, COULD, WILL, WOULD, OUGHT, ETC.

A VERB PHRASE MAY HAVE ONE MODAL AS WELL AS THREE OTHER HELPING VERBS BEFORE THE
MAIN VERB.
The main verb is always the last one in the verb phrase which needs to be looked at as a unit.
For example: The branch may have been being shaken. This is a simple sentence with just one verb phrase where may is
a modal auxiliary and there are three other helping verbs followed last of all, by the main verb shaken (which is a non-
finite verb as it does not show subject-verb concord/agreement)
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 CHECKLIST

PRIMARY VERBS TO
BE/HAVE/DO
THE SIX SUBJECT POSITIONS NON FINITE VERBS
Are they, if they are present, behaving as SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT IS INFINITIVES (to swim e.g.), ING verbs (are
main verbs or helping verbs? CRUCIAL swimming e.g.) and EN verbs (were taken/had
taken e.g.)

Wh words Dependent Clause Is there a non-finite verb?

What, who/m, why, when, where and how You get this as an answer to your question If there is, it is probably a complex sentence

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All the best!
If there are any questions, I will be happy to answer them in class.