UNIVERSIDAD DE LA FRONTERA

Facultad de Educ. Cs Soc. y Humanidades

Departamento de Lenguas, literatura y Comunicación
Pedagogía en Inglés
MAR / 2020

HANDOUT Nº1: COMPLEX SENTENCES

Morfosintaxis del Inglés II

A complex sentence consists of one independent clause, and one or more dependent
clauses. The clauses are connected through either a subordinate conjunction or a relative
pronoun. The dependent clause may be the first or second clause in the sentence. If the first
clause in the sentence is dependent, a comma usually separates the two clauses.

Complex sentences can be formed by linking simple sentences together, but the elements
in a complex sentence (unlike those of a compound sentence) are not of equal importance.
There is always one independent (or ‘main’ clause and one or more dependent (or
‘subordinate’) elements.

Example:
We had to go inside when it started raining.

Coordination is a linking together of two or more elements of equivalent status and

function.

Subordination is a non-symetrical relation, holding between two clauses (superordinate or

main clause and subordinate or dependent clause), in such a way that the subordinate is a
constituent or part of the superordinate clause.

- An independent clause is a clause capable of constituting a simple sentence.

- A dependent clause is one that is subordinate to another clause.
- Dependent as well as independent clauses may be coordinated.

Formal indicators of subordination

On the whole, subordination is marked by some signal contained in the subordinate rather
than superordinate clause. Such a signal may be of a number of different kinds:
a subordinating conjunction; a wh-element; the item that; inversion; or (negatively) the
absence of a finite verb form.

Subordinators or subordinating conjunctions

-Simple subordinators:
after, (al)though, as, because, before, but (that), if, how(ever), like, once, since, that, till,
unless, until, when(ever), where(ever), whereas, whereby, while, whilst.
- Compound subordinators:
-ending with that: in that, so that, in order that, such that, except that, for all that, save that.

-ending with optional that: now(that), providing (that), provided (that), supposing (that),
considering (that), given (that), admitting (that), etc.

-ending with as: as far as, as long as, as soon as, so long as, as far as, so as, according as.
-ending with than: sooner than (+ to + infinitive), rather than (+ infinitive)

-other: as if, as though, in case.

- Correlative subordinators:
if…then, (al)though…yet/nevertheless, as…so, more/-er/less…than, as…as, so…as,so…
(that),such…as , such…(that), no sooner…than, whether…or, the…the.

( Taken from: Quirk, Randolph, A Grammar of Contemporary English, Longman,1979)

Subordinating Conjunctions

TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION

because, since, as, for

cause or reason

if, unless, provided (that), as long as

condition

when, before, after, as, since, whenever, while, until

time

where, wherever
place

whereas, while, whilst, even if

contrast

although, though, whereas

concession

in order to, so as to, in order (that), so that, to

purpose

so that, so
result

As if, as though
manner
EXERCISES

1. Choose the right subordinating conjunction.

a. We keep our bread in the fridge, _____ it doesn´t go bad.

a. since b. so that c. although d. after

b. ___ Volkswagen cars are cheap, they last a long time.

a. because b. in order that c. although d. after

c. You should give the iron time to heat up ____ you iron your clothes.
a. because b. so that c. before d. after
d. You need proper shoes to go skiing in the mountains, ___ the ground is rough and hard.
a. because b. so that c. even though d. before

e. Hockey players wear lots of protective clothing ___ they don´t get hurt.
a. because b. in order that c. though d. after

Subordinating conjunctions in a paragraph.

Fill in the blanks, using subordinating conjunctions of the type indicated.

Where did the Native Americans come from? ____________________ (concession) many
tales from among Native American Indian tribes trace their origins to the North American
continent, most scholars accept the theory that the native Americans came to the Western
Hemisphere from Asia. They believe that _______________________ (time) they crossed
the Bering Strait from Asia, they began to spread across the continent. __________
(contrast) the dates of their immigration are not yet established, some evidence suggests
80,000 years ago. The nomadic people who crossed from Siberia to Alaska came
________________ (purpose) they could follow the animals they hunted. They survived
here by living in harmony with the land. ____________________ (time) 8the Europeans
arrived in 1492, there were about 1, 115, 000 indigenous Native American people on the
continent. These Americans welcomed the whites, but ___________________ (cause) they
were so different, the Europeans thought they were uncivilized. By 1890, there were fewer
than 90,000 Native Americans. They had lost their lives, lands, religion, and language to
the newer immigrants.