1 TRY OUT LANGUAGE
2 LEARN GRAMMAR
3 APPLY ON YOUR OWN
Use Complex Sentences
• A clause has a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence.
EXAMPLE The girl runs fastindependent clause. • A dependent clause also has a subject and a verb. It cannot stand alone because it begins with a conjunction. After, although, because, before, since, until, and when are conjunctions.
EXAMPLE because she wants to escapedependent clause • You can use a conjunction to link a dependent clause to an independent clause. The new sentence is complete, and it is called a complex sentence.
EXAMPLE The girl runs fastindependent clausebecausedependent clause she wants to escape.
Practice Together
Match each independent clause in column 1 to a dependent clause in column 2. Say the complex sentence.
| 1. I have wanted to fly | a. although he doesn’t have wings. |
| 2. I can’t fly | b. when I am old enough. |
| 3. My father can fly | c. after he took hang gliding lessons. |
| 4. He felt like a bird | d. because I don’t have wings. |
| 5. I will learn to hang glide | e. unless it rains. |
| 6. He will go hang gliding this weekend | f. since I was a small child. |
People can enjoy the feeling of flying when they learn how to hang glide.
Try It!
Match each independent clause in column 1 to a dependent clause in column 2. Write the complex sentence on a card. Hold up the card as you say the sentence.
| 7. I flew in an airplane | a. since I was little. |
| 8. I would like to be a pilot | b. when they fly overhead. |
| 9. You have to get a lot of training | c. because it is an exciting job. |
| 10. Sometimes I watch planes | d. when I went to visit my uncle. |
| 11. I have been interested in aviation | e. before you can fly a plane. |
| 12. I may go to flight school | f. unless I get interested in something else. |