If you haven’t noticed yet, all these different sentence types are just building off of the ‘simple sentence’ form. Simple sentences are made up of independent clauses (subject+verb (someone/something doing an action). New types of sentences are made when you join one independent clause up with another…and another…and another…etc. There are different ways of joining these independent clauses together, but every sentence is essentially just independent clauses joined together in different ways. There are also things called dependent clauses that attach to independent clauses. We’ll get to those soon enough.
Complex sentences have something called a subordinating conjunction. These conjunctions (words that join or connect parts of sentences) create a relationship between two independent clauses, making one independent clause the ‘subordinate’ of another, so to speak. That means that the subordinating conjunction is telling you how one part of the sentence is related to the other. Subordinating conjunctions include words like the following: after, although, as, because, before, if, since, though, unless, until, when, while…etc.
Ready for examples?
1. Subordinating Conjunction+ Independent Clause(,) Independent Clause(.)
Because I ate a whole pizza, I have a stomach ache.
After I use the internet all day, my eyes cry out for rest.
Until it is daylight, we won’t drive through Vampireville.
2. Independent Clause+ Subordinating Conjunction+ Independent Clause(.)
We will leave the show after the dog jumps through the ring of hot dogs.
I like to jog because jogging makes me a better ninja.
I’ve canceled my gym membership since I had to walk there.
To summarize, Complex Sentences are created when two or more Independent Clauses(someone/something doing something) are joined by a Subordinating Conjunction (word making one independent clause related to the other). Any questions?
-the SDA Writing Lab