Complex

Word Order Creates Sentence Patterns

created by The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill

 

Complex Sentences

What this handout is about

This handout gives an overview of the English complex sentence pattern. Go to the SentencePatterns posting for information on how to understand sentence patterns by identifying subjects, verbs, and clause connectors.  Always analyze your writing style and improve it by using a variety of sentence patterns.

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Click here for a one page summary of the English sentence patterns discussed on this handout.

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Four Basic Sentence Patterns

Every sentence pattern follows a different way to combine clauses. When you are drafting your own papers or when you’re revising them for sentence variety, try to determine how many of these patterns you use. If you favor one particular pattern, your writing might be kind of boring if every sentence has exactly the same pattern. If you find this is true, try to revise a few sentences using a different pattern.

NOTE: Because nouns can fill so many positions in a sentence, it’s easier to analyze sentence patterns if you find the verbs and find the connectors. The most common connectors are listed below with the sentence patterns that use them.

In the descriptions below, S=Subject and V=Verb, and options for arranging the clauses in each sentence pattern given in parentheses. Connecting words and the associated punctuation are highlighted in brown. Notice how the punctuation changes with each arrangement.

Pattern 3: Complex Sentence

One independent clause PLUS one or more dependent clauses. They can be arranged in these ways: (SV because SV.) or (Because SV, SV.) or (S, because SV, V.)

Connectors are always at the beginning of the dependent clause. They show how the dependent clause is related to the independent clause. This list shows different types of relationships along with the connectors that indicate those relationships:

Cause/Effect: because, since, so that
Comparison/Contrast: although, even though, though, whereas, while
Place/Manner: where, wherever, how, however
Possibility/Conditions: if, whether, unless
Relation: that, which, who, whom
Time: after, as, before, since, when, whenever, while, until

Examples of complex sentences:

He recommends them highly because they taste like chicken when they are hot.
Although chicken always appeals to me, I still feel skeptical about monkey.
Mrs. Potato Head, because she loves us so much, has offered to make her special monkey souffle for us.
She can cook it however she wants.
Although I am curious, I am still skeptical.

Try this:

·         Scan your own text to find the complex connectors listed above. Circle them.

·         Find the verb and the subject of the clauses that goes with each connector, remembering that the dependent clause might be in between the subject and verb of the independent clause, as shown in the arrangement options above.

·         Highlight your complex sentences with a color that’s different from the one you used to mark your simple sentences.

To learn more about sentence structure, move on to the next type of sentences structure by clicking here: compound-complex sentences.

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You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout (just click print) and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Content of this posting create by UNC-CH Writing Center and it is available at http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/sentence-patterns/