The complex sentence
A COMPLEX SENTENCE is a sentence which consists of a principal clause and one or more subordinate clauses. The connection between clauses is called subordination.
Clauses can be connected syndetically (by means of connectors) or asyndetically.
W
AYS
OF CONNECTION
SYNDETICALLY I wish that
you were not here.
ASYNDETICALLY I
wish you were not here. This
is the house Jack built.
SYNDETICALLY I wish that you were not here. |
ASYNDETICALLY I wish you were not here. This is the house Jack built. |
CONNECTORS
CON
CONNECTIVES (They
are parts of the sentence)
CONJUNCTIONS (They are not parts of the
sentence) that,
whether, if, as if, when, after, because, than, etc. My
proposal is that you should join us.
(They are parts of the sentence) |
CONJUNCTIONS (They are not parts of the sentence) that, whether, if, as if, when, after, because, than, etc. My proposal is that you should join us. |
CONNECTIVES
CONJUNCTIVE WORDS (They
introduce Nominal
and Appositive
clauses)
RELATIVE WORDS (They introduce Attributive Relative
clauses)
(They introduce Nominal and Appositive clauses) |
RELATIVE WORDS (They introduce Attributive Relative clauses) |
CONJUNC-TIVE PRONOUNS what,
which, who, whose, whom, whoever, whatever I
know who
will fail the exam.
CONJUNC-TIVE ADVERBS where,
when, whence, how, why, wherever, whenever, whoever This
is where he
lives.
RELATIVE PRONOUNS that,
which, who, whose, whose, whom, as This
is the student who
failed the exam.
RELATIVE ADVERBS where,
when, whence It’s
the place where he lives.
what, which, who, whose, whom, whoever, whatever I know who will fail the exam. |
CONJUNC-TIVE ADVERBS where, when, whence, how, why, wherever, whenever, whoever This is where he lives. |
RELATIVE PRONOUNS that, which, who, whose, whose, whom, as This is the student who failed the exam. |
RELATIVE ADVERBS where, when, whence It’s the place where he lives. |
ONJUNC-TIVE
PRONOUNS
Subordinate clauses may follow, precede or interrupt the principal clause.
Subordinate clauses perform the same syntactic functions as single words: subject, predicative, object, attribute, adverbial modifier.
Traditionally these numerous types of clauses are arranged in three groups: nominal clauses, attributive clauses, and adverbial clauses.