hi i'm ashley and here's mia in this video we'll learn
about complex sentences are you ready let's go
first let's review some things that you already know about sentences
you know a sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought and
a clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate or we could say a subject
and verb and you also know that an independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence
okay let's review a couple more things you've learned you know that a subordinating conjunction
joins a dependent clause to an independent clause the most commonly used subordinating conjunctions
are after although as when while until before because if and since remember the nonsense word
awubus that can help you to remember them all all right one more thing a dependent clause
is a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence it has a subject and a verb but it begins with a
subordinating conjunction that's why a dependent clause is also known as a subordinate clause
that was a lot to review but it's all very important in understanding complex sentences
a complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause so we could have
a simple sentence like josh likes to play outside and we could add a dependent clause
to it like when the sun is shining and voila we have created a complex sentence
it has one independent clause and one dependent clause the subordinating conjunction when
in this complex sentence the dependent clause comes first before the independent clause
when the dependent clause comes first it must be followed by a comma because we are placing
it before the subject of the sentence in this case josh however the dependent clause can
also be placed after the independent clause and when that happens no comma is needed
read with me josh likes to play outside when the sun is shining we still have our dependent clause
but it comes after the independent clause so there's no need for a comma here
okay let's make a complex sentence remember it will need a dependent clause like if i prove
that i am responsible that's a dependent clause because it has a subject and a verb and it begins
with a subordinating conjunction if we add an independent clause we have a complex sentence
if i prove that i am responsible my parents said we can get a puppy oh how cute since
the dependent clause comes first we add a comma but we can also reverse the order of the clauses
and no comma is needed like my parents said we can get a puppy if i prove that i am responsible
let's try another complex sentence we'll start with a dependent clause how about because
it was raining it has a subject and a verb but the subordinating conjunction because
makes it a dependent clause what's an independent clause we could add to form a complete sentence
maybe because it was raining i took my umbrella with me since the dependent clause comes first
we add a comma but remember we can reverse the order of the clauses
i took my umbrella with me because it was raining and this time no comma is needed
so now you know what a complex sentence is complex sentence contains one independent clause
and at least one dependent clause and you can always spot those dependent clauses
because they begin with a subordinating conjunction some sentences are tricky and at first
they look like complex sentences but they're not for example before lunch i always wash my hands
we have an independent clause i always wash my hands but is before lunch a dependent clause
nope it is not a clause because it doesn't have a subject and a verb so before lunch is a phrase
a prepositional phrase to be exact this sentence only contains one clause so it's a simple sentence
however if we change that phrase to a clause with a subject and a verb
that simple sentence becomes complex before i eat lunch i always wash my hands
now we have a subject and a verb so we definitely have a dependent clause
let's build our own complex sentence we'll start with a dependent clause it'll need a subject and
a verb like mia listen and then it will need to begin with a subordinating conjunction
how about as let's think of an independent clause
something that might have happened as mia listened maybe she learned new things if
we join the dependent clause with the independent clause we have a complex sentence as mia listened
she learned new things since the dependent clause comes first remember we need to add that comma
we've learned a lot about complex sentences today a complex sentence contains one independent clause
and at least one dependent clause like when mia learns new things she is happy i hope
you're happy learning new things too and i hope you're remembering to always be clever