Complex
and Compound Sentences
A complex sentence has one Principal Clause and
one or more Subordinate Clause/ clauses
Kinds of Clause
Three Types of Clause:
1.
Principal clause (found in Complex Sentences)
2.
Subordinate Clause (found in Complex Sentences)
3.
Coordinate clause (found in Compound Sentences)
1.
Principal clause
This kind of clause is independent for its
meaning. Its meaning is clear in itself.
So this clause is also called Independent
clause.
See the following sentences:
· This is the village where
I was born.
·
He assured me that he would certainly help me.
·
The
underlined parts of the sentences are the Principle clauses.
·
If
the principal clause is separated from ‘This is the village where I was born.’,
it will be ‘This is a village.’
·
It
is a simple sentence indeed. When this sentence becomes a part in a complex
sentence, ‘the’ and not ‘a’ is used in front of ‘village’
2. Subordinate Clauses
These clauses are always dependent on the Principal Clauses for the
clarification of their meaning.
So
these clauses are also called dependent clauses.
These clauses are also joined by
subordinate conjunctions.
See
the following sentences:
· This is the village
where I
was born.
· He assured me that he would certainly
help me.
· The italic bold
parts of the sentences are the Subordinate clauses.
List of the Subordinate Conjunctions
Which, who, whom, whose, that, such….as,
same….as, so that, lest, so….that, if, whether, when, whenever, where, wherever, whence, since, for,
because, why, as, as if, as though, although/ though, as….as, so….as, even if, even though, if, supposing that, provided that, in
case, before, after, as soon as, no sooner….than, till, until, unless, etc.
3. Coordinate clauses
They are made up of two or more independent
clauses which are equal in rank.
Coordinate clauses are independent for the
clarification of their meaning. They are joined by the coordinate
conjunctions.
List
of the Coordinate Conjunctions:
And, both…and, as well as, but, so, therefore, yet, nevertheless, not
withstanding with, either….or, neither…..nor, for, however, or, otherwise,
etc.
Recognize
the type of sentence (Simple, Complex or Compound) from the following list:
1.
All is well that ends well.
2.
Money makes the mare go.
3.
Rome was not built in a day.
4.
East or west, home is the best.
5.
Those who live in glass houses, should not throw
stones at others’.
6.
However hard you may work, you can't succeed.
7.
Walk fast lest you should miss the train.
8.
What a lovely flower it is!
9.
When I reached home, the clock struck five.
10.
This is the
way I like most.
11.
Where there
is a will, there is a way.
12.
He refused to
help you.
13.
Do or die.
14.
Hope sustains
life.
15.
He was absent
from school, so he was fined.
16.
This is the
boy who has topped the class.
17.
You may sit
or go.
18.
She succeeded
in spite of her carelessness.
Kinds
of Subordinate Causes
1.
Noun Clause
2.
Adjective Clause
3.
Adverbial Clause
1.
Noun Clause
See
the following sentences:
1.
What you did there in the Mall, is known to all of
us.
2.
This is what I want to tell you.
3.
The news that we have won the match spread like a
wild fire.
4.
I am fond of what you sing.
All
the above four sentences are complex sentences because:
1. They contain subordinate clauses.
2. The name of the subordinate clauses in the above
four sentences is Noun Clause.
How
to recognize a Noun Clause in a complex sentence:
1.
Replace the subordinate clause with ‘something’. If the
sentence remains grammatical, then, the subordinate clause is a Noun Clause.
(i)
What you did there in the Mall, is known to all of
us.
(i) Something is known to all of us.
(ii)
I am fond of what you sing.
I am fond of something.
By replacing the subordinate clauses with
‘something’ in the above sentences, we have:
(ii) The above sentences are still grammatical
and, hence, they contain noun clauses.
2.
Pick out the main verb from the principal clause. Ask
question ‘what’ to it. If the answer is supplied by the subordinate clause,
then, it is a noun clause
(i)
What you did there
in the Mall, is
known to all of us.
‘is known’ what?
Answer: ……’what
you did there in the Mall’
So the above
sentence contains a noun clause.
(ii) I am fond of what you sing.
….fond of what?
Ans. …’what you sing’
Types of Noun
1. Noun Clause as
Subject to a verb
2.
…………… an Object to a verb
3.
………………an Object to an Infinitive
4.
Noun Clause as an object to a Preposition
5.
Noun Clause as an object to a Present Participle
6.
As a complement to a Noun or Pronoun
7.
In Apposition to a Noun or Pronoun
I.
Noun Clause as Subject to a verb
·
That he will help
me
is certain.
·
What you said is untrue.
‘What
you said’ is
Subordinate Noun Clause.
(It)
is untrue…………..is
Principal Clause.
2. An
Object to a verb
He told me that he would help me.
She asked me what my name was.
3. As
an Object to an Infinitive
He stood up to ask
what the teacher was saying.
4. Noun Clause as
an object to a Preposition
He is fond of what you
sing.
He
objected to what I said.
5. Noun Clause as
an object to a Present Participle
Thinking that you will help me, I have come to you.
6. As a complement
to a Noun or Pronoun
Life is what we make.
It seems that it will rain today.
7. In Apposition to a Noun or Pronoun
The news that India has won the cricket match, spread like a wild fire.
The fact that the result of class twelfth
is being declared tomorrow has created excitement among students.
Exercise
Pick
out the noun clause from the sentences below:
1.
How
he has got this job is known to all.
2.
3.
He
said that Rome was not built in a day.
4.
That
he is your friend is surprising.
5.
I
do not understand what you are saying.
6.
I
am very surprised about what he has recently commented in public.
7.
He
assured me that he would definitely help me.
8.
He
asked me if I wanted his help.
9.
Please
listen to what I am trying to say.
10.
Do
not desire for what is beyond your approach.
11.
I
know why he has abandoned you.
12.
Why
he has misled you is still beyond my understanding.
13.
There
is no meaning in what you are saying.
14.
He
wants to know when the results will be declared.
15.
I
am sorry to say that the company is not going to select you.
16.
Fearing
that the police was going to ask him many questions, he ran away from his
house.
17.
My
belief is that you will surely succeed this time.
18.
I
have telephoned to him hoping that I would get some clue about his intentions.
19.
Life
is what we make it.
20.
My
plan is that we shall pass night at Shimla.
21.
That
is what I want to tell you.
II Adjective Clause or Relative
Clause
Adjective Clause
does the same function in a complex sentence as an adjective does in a simple one
What is the
function of an adjective?
· It qualifies or modifies a noun or a pronoun.
For example
1.
This is a gold/golden watch. (gold/golden=adjective)
2.
This watch is made of gold. (made of gold=adjective phrase)
3.
This is the watch which is made of gold. (Which is made of
gold=Adj. Clause)
Type of Relative/adjective clause
Two Types
1.
Defining
Adjective or relative clause
2.
Non-defining
Adjective or relative clause
(i)
Defining Adjective or relative clause
This
type of clause gives the essential information about the noun or pronoun it
qualifies.
Examples
· The boy who
has topped the class is Rohit.
· I have sold the
chair whose/of which arm was broken.
· Those who live in glass houses
should not throw stones at others.
· This is the village
where I was born.
Non-defining
Adjective or relative clause.
· This type of clause
does not give any essential information about the noun or pronoun it qualifies.
· It gives only
additional information.
· It is separated
from the main or principal clause by commas.
Examples
· My mother, who is
above 60, is coming to meet me tomorrow.
· Mohan, whose father
is a famous doctor, studies in class XI.
Some more important
facts about Adjective clause:
(1)
Adjective
clause is also called Relative clause.
(2)
Defining
clause is also called restrictive clause and non-defining
clause is called non-restrictive clause.
(3)
These
clauses are introduced by relative pronouns like who, whom, whose, which, that
and also by relative adverbs like where, when, why, etc.
(4)
Sometimes
the relative conjunction is missing as shown in the following sentence:
I have lost the book I purchased yesterday.
(5)
It
is argued that the relative pronoun ‘which’ is preferred to be used in non-defining
and ‘that’ is used in defining
adjectival clause.
(6)
The noun or the pronoun qualified by the
conjunction is called the antecedent.
(7)
Non-defining
clause is separated by commas.
Adverb or Adverbial
clause
This
type of clause does the same function as an adverb does in a sentence.
· It modifies or
qualifies a verb, an adjective and an adverb itself.
Kinds of Adverb
Clause
1.
Adverb Clause of
Place
Conjunctions: where, wherever, whence
Examples:
(i)
You will find me wherever you go.
(ii)
Go where you
like.
(iii)
Go
whence you came.
2.
Adverb Clause of
Time
Conjunctions: when, whenever, as soon as, no
sooner….than, as long as, till, until, since, while
(i)
When I woke up in the morning today, I found that a house was
on fire.
(ii)
You may come to meet me whenever you find time.
(iii)
As soon as the
thief saw the police, he ran away at once.
(iv)
As long as I am
here, you
need not worry.
(v)
Wait here till I
come back.
(vi)
Don’t move from here until I come back.
(vii)
I have not met my cousin since he left India.
(viii) Make hay while the sun shines.
(ix)
He broke his leg while
he was trying to board a running bus.
3.
Adverb Clause of
Reason/Cause
Conjunction: Since, as, because
(i)
Since you are my
friend, I
may tell you everything.
(ii)
He was severely punished because he abused the teacher.
4.
Adverb Clause of
Manner
As if, as though, as
(i)
He walks as if
he were a prince.
(ii)
She speaks as
though she were a model.
(iii)
Do as I tell
you.
5.
Adverb Clause of
Condition
If, unless, , in case, provided that,
supposing (that)
(i)
If you work hard, you will pass.
(ii)
Unless you work
hard (If
you do not work hard), you will not pass.
(iii)
In case you need my
help,
you just give me a call.
(iv)
We
will definitely go on a trip provided
that it does not rain.
6.
Adverb Clause of
Purpose
So that,
in order that, lest
(i)
Run
fast so that you may catch the train.
(ii)
He
has worked hard in order that he can get
very good marks.
(iii)
Run fast lest
you should miss the train.
7.
Adverb Clause of
Contrast
Although/though.........yet, even if/
(i)
Even though you are
my enemy, I
still believe you.
(ii)
Although he worked
very hard, yet he could not score very high marks.
8.Adverb Clause of
Comparison
As........as, so..........as, than
(i)
She
is as intelligent as her mother.
(ii)
She
is not so intelligent as her mother.
(iii)
He
is stronger than his brother.
9.Adverb Clause of
Extent
As far as, the........the
(i)
As
far as I know, he will not help you.
(ii)
The
higher you go, the cooler it is.
10.Adverb Clause of
Result
So........that
(i)
He
worked so hard that he scored very
high marks.
Exercise 1.
Recognize
the type of sentence (Simple, Complex or Compound) from the following list:
1.
All is well that ends well.
2.
Money makes the mare go.
3.
Rome was not built in a day.
4.
East or west, home is the best.
5.
Those who live in glass houses, should not throw
stones at others.
6.
However hard you may work, you can't succeed.
7.
Walk fast lest you should miss the train.
8.
What a lovely flower it is!
9.
When I reached home, the clock struck five.
10.
This is the
way I like most.
Ex. 2
(i)
Where there is a will, there is a way.
(ii)
He refused to help you.
(iii)
Do or die.
(iv)
Hope sustains life.
(v)
He was absent from school, so he was fined.
(vi)
This is the boy who has topped the class.
(vii)
You may sit or go.
(viii) She succeeded in spite of her carelessness.
(ix)
He told me that he would go to Delhi the next day.
(x)
I have done my work.
Ex.
3
Pick out the noun
clause from the sentences below:
1.
How
he has got this job is known to all.
2.
He
said that Rome was not built in a day.
3.
That
he is your friend is surprising.
4.
I
do not understand what you are saying.
5.
I
am very surprised about what he has recently commented in public.
6.
He
assured me that he would definitely help me.
7.
He
asked me if I wanted his help.
8.
Please
listen to what I am trying to say.
9.
Do
not desire for what is beyond your approach.
10.
I
know why he has abandoned you.
Ex.
4
(i)
Why
he has misled you is still beyond my understanding.
(ii)
There
is no meaning in what you are saying.
(iii)
He
wants to know when the results will be declared.
(iv)
I
am sorry to say that the company is not going to select you.
(v)
Fearing
that the police was going to ask him many questions, he ran away from his
house.
(vi)
My
belief is that you will surely succeed this time.
(vii)
I
have telephoned to him hoping that I would get some clue about his intentions.
(viii)
Life
is what we make it.
(ix)
My
plan is that we shall pass night at Shimla.
(x)
That
is what I want to tell you.
Ex. 5 Pick out the
Subordinate clauses from the following Sentences:
(i)
She
is as intelligent as her mother.
(ii)
Run
fast so that you may catch the train.
(iii)
He
has worked hard in order that he can get
very good marks.
(iv)
Run
fast lest you should miss the train.
(v)
As
far as I know, he will not help you.
(vi)
You
may come to meet me whenever you find
time.
(vii)
As soon as the
thief saw the police, he ran away at once.
(viii)
As long as I am
here, you
need not worry.
(ix)
Wait here till I
come back.
(x)
Don’t move from here until I come back.
Ex. 6
(i)
I
have not met my cousin since he left
India.
(ii)
Make hay while
the sun shines.
(iii)
He broke his leg while
he was trying to board a running bus.
(iv)
You will find me wherever you go.
(v)
Go where you
like.
(vi)
Go
whence you came.
(vii)
The
boy who
has topped the class I is Rohit.
(viii)
I
have sold the chair whose/of which arm was broken.
(ix)
Those
who live in glass houses
should not throw stones at others.
(x)
This
is the village where I was born.
(xi)
What you did there in the Mall, is known to all of
us.
(xii)
This is what I want to tell you.
(xiii) The news that we have won the match spread like a wild fire.
(xiv) I am fond of what you sing.
