Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-2-complex-sentences [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Primary](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary.md) › [English](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english.md) › [English: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum.md) › Complex Sentences # Complex Sentences English: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 2.2.2 ## Complex Sentences The other type of sentence you need to know is called a complex sentence. This is how you make a complex sentence... ### 1) Start with a simple sentence ![1) Start with a simple sentence](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-05/73cc0570-99e0-4511-8b93-f91b5a93022f/shutterstock_694624951.jpg) - Simple sentence - __I heated my food in the microwave__. - This simple sentence is also called an __independent clause__. It's called an independent clause because it's a sentence that makes sense by itself. ### 2) Add a dependent clause ![2) Add a dependent clause](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/courseImages/chemistry/10.1.2%20Alternative%20methods%20of%20extracting%20metals/hands-1662614_640-min.jpg) - A __dependent clause__ is a clause that does NOT make sense by itself. It's called a dependent clause because it _depends_ on another clause to make sense. - We will add a dependent clause on the next slide... ### Dependent clause, then a simple sentence ![Dependent clause, then a simple sentence](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/f418a04f-b5ac-4b1d-9300-6a96ee1157af/thermometer-3579034_1920.jpg) - **Because it was cold,** I heated my food in the microwave. - The clause in bold is the dependent clause. The clause does not make sense by itself - we need more information to understand what's going on. - This is now a complex sentence. ### Definition of a complex sentence ![Definition of a complex sentence](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/9eae1ca8-de2a-405e-9c72-951ae7e98148/maze.jpg) - So a complex sentence is a sentence that contains an independent clause and at least 1 dependent clause. ## Examples of Complex Sentences You have already learned how to make a complex sentence. Remember - a complex sentence contains an independent clause and at least 1 dependent clause. Let's now look at some more examples of complex sentences... ### Sentence about being late ![Sentence about being late](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/f8c735b6-696f-4da0-bcfe-e2184ce6362c/school-children-learning.jpg) - __Although I left the house earlier than normal__, I was late for school. - __The first part of the sentence is the dependent clause__. - The second part of the sentence is the independent clause. ### Sentence about a storm ![Sentence about a storm](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/0f656502-a10f-4a99-90fb-6c63ffb986e9/smoke.jpg) - __After the storm hit__, the town was ruined. - __The first part of the sentence in bold is the dependent clause__. - The second part of the sentence is the independent clause. ### Sentence about a ballerina ![Sentence about a ballerina](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/a3e16955-cbf6-4e1f-9b5e-d1baf4b9d8fa/shutterstock_366976964.jpg) - Jemima went to ballet class, __even though she could not find her shoes__. - The first part of the sentence is the independent clause. - __The second part of the sentence in bold is the dependent clause__. ### Sentence about playing basketball ![Sentence about playing basketball](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/7e5f4e2c-f6ea-48c6-bc76-f0ff9b458451/shutterstock_167511713.jpg) - __Now that he is so tall__, James is good at basketball. - __The first part of the sentence in bold is the dependent clause__. - The second part of the sentence is the independent clause. ### Sentence about rain ![Sentence about rain](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/38ca088b-1c0e-43f8-ad21-e70e967ade9a/boy-child-bored-rain-.jpg) - __Since it is raining__, I will not go outside. - __The first part of the sentence in bold is the dependent clause__. - The second part of the sentence is the independent clause. ## Test yourself on Complex Sentences - How do you Make a Complex Sentence? - What is the grammatical term for a clause that does not make sense by itself? - Which part of this sentence is the __independent clause__?**Although I was late, my teacher was in a good mood.** - Which of these are complex sentences? - What is a __complex sentence__? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/55380d04-654f-4809-93bc-7a6bae8dd341/section/68df7415-271f-44b5-a432-84ac127c2ac8/session) - Previous topic: [2.2.1 Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-1-simple-sentences-and-compound-sentences.md) - Next topic: [2.2.3 Coordinating Conjunctions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-3-coordinating-conjunctions.md) ## English: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum contents ### 1 Reading - 1.1 Root Words - [1.1.1 Understanding New Words](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-1-1-understanding-new-words.md) - [1.1.2 Exception Words](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-1-2-exception-words.md) - 1.2 Prefixes - [1.2.1 'Anti-' & 'Auto-'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-1-anti-and-auto.md) - [1.2.2 Not & 'Inter-'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-2-not-and-inter.md) - [1.2.3 'Mis-', 'Dis-' & 'Re-'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-3-mis-dis-and-re.md) - [1.2.4 'Sub-' & 'Super-'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-4-sub-and-super.md) - [1.2.5 End of Topic Test - Root Words & Prefixes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-5-end-of-topic-test-root-words-and-prefixes.md) - 1.3 Suffixes - [1.3.1 Vowel Suffixes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-1-vowel-suffixes.md) - [1.3.2 Suffixes: '-ous'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-2-suffixes-ous.md) - [1.3.3 Rules for Suffixes: '-ous'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-3-rules-for-suffixes-ous.md) - [1.3.4 Testing - Rules for Suffixes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-4-testing-rules-for-suffixes.md) - [1.3.5 Suffixes: '-ly'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-5-suffixes-ly.md) - [1.3.6 Suffixes: '-ation'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-6-suffixes-ation.md) - [1.3.7 Rules for Suffixes: '-ation'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-7-rules-for-suffixes-ation.md) - [1.3.8 Spelling: '-tion' Endings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-8-spelling-tion-endings.md) - [1.3.9 Spelling: '-sion' Endings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-9-spelling-sion-endings.md) - [1.3.10 Spelling: '-ssion' Endings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-10-spelling-ssion-endings.md) - [1.3.11 Spelling: '-cian' Endings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-11-spelling-cian-endings.md) - [1.3.12 End of Topic Test - Suffixes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-12-end-of-topic-test-suffixes.md) ### 2 Writing - 2.1 Composition - [2.1.1 Effective Writing](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-1-effective-writing.md) - [2.1.2 Planning](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-2-planning.md) - [2.1.3 Drafting](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-3-drafting.md) - [2.1.4 Editing](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-4-editing.md) - [2.1.5 End of Topic Test - Writing Composition](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-5-end-of-topic-test-writing-composition.md) - 2.2 Conjunctions - [2.2.1 Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-1-simple-sentences-and-compound-sentences.md) - [2.2.2 Complex Sentences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-2-complex-sentences.md) - [2.2.3 Coordinating Conjunctions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-3-coordinating-conjunctions.md) - [2.2.4 Subordinating Conjunctions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-4-subordinating-conjunctions.md) - [2.2.5 End of Topic Test - Conjunctions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-5-end-of-topic-test-conjunctions.md) - 2.3 Present Perfect Tense - [2.3.1 Present Perfect Tense](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-3-1-present-perfect-tense.md) - [2.3.2 Uses of the Present Perfect Tense](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-3-2-uses-of-the-present-perfect-tense.md) - 2.4 Nouns - [2.4.1 Using Nouns & Pronouns Properly](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-4-1-using-nouns-and-pronouns-properly.md) - [2.4.2 End of Topic Test - Present Perfect & Nouns](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-4-2-end-of-topic-test-present-perfect-and-nouns.md) - 2.5 Fronted Adverbials - [2.5.1 Saying Where, When & How Often](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-5-1-saying-where-when-and-how-often.md) - [2.5.2 Saying How & Why](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-5-2-saying-how-and-why.md) - [2.5.3 Using Commas](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-5-3-using-commas.md) - 2.6 Direct Speech - [2.6.1 Direct Speech](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-6-1-direct-speech.md) - [2.6.2 End of Topic Test - Fronted Adverbials & Speech](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-6-2-end-of-topic-test-fronted-adverbials-and-speech.md) - 2.7 Homophones - [2.7.1 Accept & Except](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-1-accept-and-except.md) - [2.7.2 Affect & Effect](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-2-affect-and-effect.md) - [2.7.3 Ball & Bawl](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-3-ball-and-bawl.md) - [2.7.4 Berry & Bury](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-4-berry-and-bury.md) - [2.7.5 Brake & Break](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-5-brake-and-break.md) - [2.7.6 Fair & Fare](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-6-fair-and-fare.md) - [2.7.7 Grate & Great](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-7-grate-and-great.md) - [2.7.8 Groan & Grown](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-8-groan-and-grown.md) - [2.7.9 Hear & Here](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-9-hear-and-here.md) - [2.7.10 Heal, Heel & He'll](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-10-heal-heel-and-hell.md) - [2.7.11 Knot & Not](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-11-knot-and-not.md) - [2.7.12 Mail & Male](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-12-mail-and-male.md) - [2.7.13 Main & Mane](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-13-main-and-mane.md) - [2.7.14 Meat & Meet](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-14-meat-and-meet.md) - [2.7.15 Medal & Meddle](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-15-medal-and-meddle.md) - [2.7.16 Missed & Mist](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-16-missed-and-mist.md) - [2.7.17 Peace & Piece](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-17-peace-and-piece.md) - [2.7.18 Plain & Plane](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-18-plain-and-plane.md) - [2.7.19 Rain & Reign & Rein](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-19-rain-and-reign-and-rein.md) - [2.7.20 Scene & Seen](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-20-scene-and-seen.md) - [2.7.21 Weather & Whether](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-21-weather-and-whether.md) - [2.7.22 Whose & Who's](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-22-whose-and-whos.md) - [2.7.23 End of Topic Test - Homophones](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-7-23-end-of-topic-test-homophones.md) - 2.8 Spelling Rules - [2.8.1 Hard 'U' & 'I' Sounds](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-1-hard-u-and-i-sounds.md) - [2.8.2 Words Ending in '-Sure', '-Mure' & '-Sion'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-2-words-ending-in-sure-mure-and-sion.md) - [2.8.3 'Ei', 'Eigh' & 'Ey' Spellings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-3-ei-eigh-and-ey-spellings.md) - [2.8.4 Words Ending in 'G' & 'K' Sounds](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-4-words-ending-in-g-and-k-sounds.md) - [2.8.5 Spelling Words with 'Ch' & 'Sc'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-5-spelling-words-with-ch-and-sc.md) - [2.8.6 Silent Letters](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-6-silent-letters.md) - [2.8.7 End of Topic Test - Spelling Rules](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-8-7-end-of-topic-test-spelling-rules.md) - 2.9 Using Apostrophes - [2.9.1 Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-9-1-using-apostrophes-with-regular-plurals.md) - [2.9.2 Using Apostrophes with Irregular Plurals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-9-2-using-apostrophes-with-irregular-plurals.md) - 2.10 Using a Dictionary - [2.10.1 Using a Dictionary](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-10-1-using-a-dictionary.md) - [2.10.2 End of Topic Test - Apostrophes & Dictionaries](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/english/english-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-10-2-end-of-topic-test-apostrophes-and-dictionaries.md)