Becoming Savvy with Sentence Structures: Part Two
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Becoming Savvy with Sentence Structures: Part Two
Understanding sentence structures helps us shape the art of good writing. In Part One of our discussion, we identified the four foundational sentence constructions and reviewed the first two, simple and compound sentences.
We’ll next look at complex and compound-complex sentences.
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence has one independent main clause and at least one dependent clause, a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence. Dependent clauses usually begin with a word such as when, because, or that to indicate their reliance.
Examples:
when we go to schoolbecause it is raining
that are collected
In complex sentences, dependent clauses function as sentence modifiers:
Examples:
When we go to school (dependent clause), we will receive the assignment (main clause).We cannot go out (main clause) because it is raining (dependent clause).
The team owners give the star all of the accolades (main clause) that should be shared among several players (dependent clause), which causes unspoken tension in the locker room (dependent clause).
Compound-Complex Sentence
A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent main clauses and at least one dependent clause:
While Sheila painted (dependent clause), Ricardo installed the new shelves (main clause); they wanted to finish the work before dinner (main clause).
The game stops (main clause) if it rains (dependent clause), but it resumes (main clause) if the rain lets up (dependent clause).
The people [who are still in line (dependent clause)] will have to wait another hour (main clause), and even then they might not get in (main clause).
Avoiding Loose/Protracted Sentences
Complex sentences give us a tool for avoiding loose and protracted compound constructions similar to those we considered in Part One. Such constructions can occur when we string multiple clauses together.
Loose/Protracted: The Amazon rainforest is the world’s biggest, and it is larger than the next two largest rainforests combined, and it covers an area about the size of the forty-eight contiguous United States.
Better as Complex: The Amazon rainforest, which is the world’s biggest, is larger than the next two rainforests combined, covering an area about the size of the forty-eight contiguous United States.Loose/Protracted: She is a prolific corporate attorney, and she earns a notable salary, but she works long hours, and she has little time on the weekends.
Better as Compound-Complex: She is a prolific corporate attorney who earns a notable salary, but she works long hours, leaving little time on the weekends.
In Part Three of “Becoming Savvy with Sentence Structures,” we will recap the four sentences types and how to use them for style and effect in our writing.
Pop Quiz
Using what you’ve learned in this article, identify whether each example is a complex sentence or a compound-complex sentence.
1. I won’t go unless she goes too.
a. Complex
b. Compound-Complex
2. Because I am young, I am impetuous, and because I am impetuous, I make others aware of my youth.
a. Complex
b. Compound-Complex
3. The hourglass will run out if the wizard does not soon return with his potion.
a. Complex
b. Compound-Complex
4. The teacher, who is also my neighbor, is leading tonight’s roundtable discussion; it will begin at around seven p.m.
a. Complex
b. Compound-Complex
Pop Quiz Answers
1. I won’t go unless she goes too.
a. Complex (The sentence has one main clause and one dependent clause.)
2. Because I am young, I am impetuous, and because I am impetuous, I make others aware of my youth.
b. Compound-Complex (The sentence has two main clauses and two independent clauses.)
3. The hourglass will run out if the wizard does not soon return with his potion.
a. Complex (The sentence has one main clause and one dependent clause.)
4. The teacher, who is also my neighbor, is leading tonight’s roundtable discussion; it will begin at around seven p.m.
b. Compound-Complex (The sentence has two main clauses and one dependent clause.)
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
What is the difference between these two sentences?
a. I like cooking my friends and chocolate.
b. I like cooking, my friends and chocolate.
Both a. and b. are simple sentences. The first sentence says that you like to cook your friends and you like to cook chocolate. You could simply change “and” to “in” and cook your friends in chocolate.
As we mention in Rule 1 of Commas, we have a preference for including the Oxford, or series, comma. Placing it immediately after friends clarifies the three things you like. However, we would caution that the sentence lacks parallel structure. A better sentence might be I like cooking, spending time with my friends, and eating chocolate.
Excellent topic!
A legal transcription business I have done transcripts for insists that therefore should never be a comma before the word “that” in a sentence, only a semi-colon. This rule is stated vehemently in their transcription manual, and disobeying it can potentially end a transcriber’s contract. What say you?
In our response we assume that the word therefore should be there.
Perhaps we are lacking context, but we are surprised that there would be such strict adherence to a guideline for formal grammar in situations where spoken words are being transcribed into written form. Not everyone is capable of thinking and speaking using correct grammar at all times. Our article above states:
Rule 3: That introduces essential clauses while which introduces nonessential clauses.
NOTE: Essential clauses do not have commas surrounding them, while nonessential clauses are surrounded by commas.
Using the second example under Rule 3, suppose a person whose words you are required to transcribe says, “The editorial claiming racial differences in intelligence that appeared in the Sunday newspaper upset me.” As a professional transcriber, are you going to seemingly adhere to Rule 3 by leaving out commas because of the word that, or will you follow the NOTE and insert commas because you recognize the clause to be nonessential?
In addition, we have the complications acknowledged in our post of March 17, 2015, That and Which: Rule or Guideline?
You are certainly left in a difficult situation if your contract is at stake.
From your article:
Loose/Protracted: The Amazon rainforest is the world’s biggest, and it is larger than the next two largest rainforests combined, and it covers an area about the size of the forty-eight contiguous United States.
Better as Complex: The Amazon rainforest, which is the world’s biggest, is larger than the next two rainforests combined, covering an area about the size of the forty-eight contiguous United States.
I would like to suggest an alternate Complex sentence: Covering an area about the size of the forty-eight contiguous United States, the Amazon rainforest, which is the world’s biggest, is larger than the next two rainforests combined.
That is indeed another more-desirable way to cast the original loose/protracted sentence as a complex one.
What about sentences with this three-clause pattern?
As the sky darkened ominously and the wind began to pick up, we prepared ourselves for a tornado.
Unless you win the lottery or your parents agree to foot the bill, you can forget about holidaying in Hawaii.
Because we were exhausted and hungry and neither of us felt like cooking, we ordered a pizza.
Are “the wind began to pick up,” “your parents agree to foot the bill,” and “neither of us felt like cooking” dependent/subordinate clauses or independent/main clauses? That is, are those three sentences complex (comprising two dependent clauses and one main clause) or compound-complex (comprising two main clauses and one dependent clause)?
Also, are the sentences punctuated correctly, or should a comma be inserted after each of the first clauses (e.g., “As the sky darkened ominously, and the wind began to pick up, we prepared ourselves for a tornado”)? Would such a comma be necessary or merely optional? I understand that it would be necessary in compound sentences such as “The sky darkened ominously, and the wind began to pick up,” but I’m not sure about these three-clause patterns.
Each of your examples would be a complex sentence because it contains one independent main clause and at least one dependent clause (each example has two).
The second dependent clause in each example includes an omitted but understood subordinating conjunction (as, unless, because). In other words, the second dependent clause in each example belongs to the opening subordinating conjunction.
As the sky darkened ominously and [as] the wind began to pick up, we prepared ourselves for a tornado.
Unless you win the lottery or [unless] your parents agree to foot the bill, you can forget about holidaying in Hawaii.
Because we were exhausted and hungry and [because] neither of us felt like cooking, we ordered a pizza.
For the punctuation, there is some latitude (i.e., it can be optional depending on writer style or preference).
For example, the comma could be omitted if the second subordinating conjunction is omitted. The comma could be included if the subordinating conjunction is repeated.
As the sky darkened ominously and the wind began to pick up, we prepared ourselves for a tornado.
As the sky darkened ominously, and as the wind began to pick up, we prepared ourselves for a tornado.
1. I won’t go unless she goes too.
a. Complex (The sentence has one main clause and one dependent clause.)
The sentence above does not have any commas. So, how do we figure out what part is the main clause and what part is the independent clause?
Thanks.
The main clause is an independent clause. Please see our post Dependent and Independent Clauses for help on identifying independent and dependent clauses. You can also refer to our Rules for Commas.
Thank you so much for your detailed answer! I have quite a few grammar resources at my disposal, but not one of them presents even one example sentence (unless I missed it) similar to the three above: a complex sentence that has TWO dependent clauses wherein the second dependent clause “includes” an omitted but understood (elided?) repetition of the subordinating conjunction at the head of the first dependent clause (I hope I described that correctly!). I enjoy studying grammar and attempting to parse sentences, but I find it frustrating that omitted elements seem to be given short shrift in most grammar books despite the fact that many English sentences contain such invisible but understood components.
Your advice on how to punctuate such sentences is very helpful, too. Thanks again.
For sentences that have an introductory dependent clause that is being applied to two independent clauses, do you still need a comma before the coordinating conjunction that combines the two independent clauses?
Example: While I was taking a nap, my brother went a friend’s house, and our parents went to see a movie.
In the example above, is the comma between “a friend” and “our parents” still necessary, or does this change based on intent? To me, it seems like including or not including a comma there changes the meaning of the statement. Without the comma joining the two independent clauses, I interpret the sentence as stating that my brother’s and parents’ activities both occurred while I was napping (which was my intention for the example). With the comma, I read the sentence as meaning that only my brother’s visit to his friend’s house happened during my nap while our parents going to a movie occurred sometime afterwards. Is this correct, or is this just my brain over-analyzing things (or just being weird)?
Also, if there are three or more independent clauses linked to an introductory dependent clause, I separate the independent clauses with with commas because they are being listed in a series. Is this correct (both in use of punctuation and reasoning), and if so, are there better/different ways to properly punctuate sentences of this nature?
Example: While I was taking a nap, my brother went a friend’s house, my sister watched TV in the basement, and our parents went to see a movie.
Our Rule 3b of Commas says, “In sentences where two independent clauses are joined by connectors such as and, or, but, etc., put a comma at the end of the first clause.” Therefore, a comma is always required before the coordinating conjunction. And Rule 1 states, “Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items.” Therefore, your commas are correct in the last example.
Your last sentence is grammatically correct; however, you could consider breaking it up.
Example: While I was taking a nap, my brother went to a friend’s house. My sister watched TV in the basement, and our parents went to see a movie.