THAT’S COMPLEX!
Jennifer D. Green, Ph.D.
Western Washington University
WABE
April 2015
The Plan
•  Introductions
•  Simple Sentences
•  Compound Sentences:
•  Definition/Examples
•  Chant
•  Complex Sentences
•  Definition/Examples
•  Subordinate Clauses (with subordinators)
•  Clauseville—The Play
•  Text Reconstruction
Introductions
•  Taught EFL in Japan—2 years
•  Taught in an IEP program in Vermont—1 summer
•  Taught EFL/Teacher Training in Ukraine—2 years
•  Taught ESL K-12—7 years
•  Taught in an IEP program in Connecticut—4 summers
•  Professor and Director of the ELL Endorsement Program at Western
Washington University—3 years so far…
CCSS Language Standard 1
•  Grade 1—
•  Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative,
imperative, and exclamatory sentence in response to prompts.
•  Grade 2—
•  Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The
boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by
the little boy).
•  Grade 3—
•  Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
•  Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
CCSS Language Standard 1
•  Grade 4—
•  Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and runons.*
•  Grade 7—
•  Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to
signal differing relationships among ideas.
Simple Sentences
•  The cat ran.
•  The cat ran across the street.
•  The cat and the dog ran across the street. (compound subject)
•  The cat ran across the street and meowed loudly. (compound verb)
•  The kind woman in the orange hat eats lunch on Tuesdays with three friends
in a small café in the center of the city.
Compound Sentences
•  FANBOYS—FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET, SO
•  Two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction OR a
semicolon.
•  The cat ran across the street, but the dog stayed.
•  The cat ran across the street, and the dog chased after it.
•  The cat ran across the street; the dog chased after it.
FANBOYS
I don’t know what you’ve been told
But FANBOYS are awesome and bold.
There are seven that we do use
They make us glad, they don’t make us blue
Sound off—Conjunctions
Sound off--FANBOYS
FOR AND and NOR are very cool
BUT, OR, YET they do rule
With SO we end our FANBOYS list
FANBOYS conjunctions are pure bliss
Sound off –conjunctions
Sound off– FANBOYS
FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET, SO
Our sentences will really grow
FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET, SO
Let's use conjunctions, come on let's go
Sound off –conjunctions
Sound off --FANBOYS
Sound off --FANBOYS
Complex Sentences
•  Sentences with one independent clause and two or more dependent clauses.
•  There are different types of dependent clauses
•  Subordinate clauses (with subordinators)
•  (She likes coffee because it wakes her up)
•  Embedded clauses
•  Relative clauses (This is the man who lives next door; This is the man that lives next door)
•  That clauses (It is important that we all work together)
The Play
Characters with lines:
•  Narrators 1, 2, 3
•  Flora went outside
•  And
•  But
Characters who “just” read sentence strips
•  For
•  Nor
•  Or
•  Yet
•  So
•  Because
•  Although
•  Alex saw her
•  Before
•  They ran inside
•  After
•  While
•  When
The Story with Simple Sentences
•  It was a sunny day. Flora went outside. Alex saw her.
They played together. It rained. They ran inside. They
ate cookies and drank milk.
The Story with Compound Sentences
•  It was a sunny day, so Flora went outside. Alex saw her,
and they played together. Suddenly, it rained, so they ran
inside. They ate cookies and drank milk.
The Story with Complex Sentences
•  Because it was a sunny day, Flora went outside. When
she saw her friend Alex, they played together. Suddenly, it
rained. After they ran inside, they ate cookies and drank
milk.
Text Reconstruction
•  Listen to the text the first time I read it.
•  Take notes the second time I read it.
•  Share your notes with a neighbor.
•  Co-write the text together.
•  Each of you needs to write—but you must write the same thing.
Read a text…
• As the family grew, they often moved with Noah to
his many workplaces. They didn’t live with him in
New York City where he edited two newspapers
from 1793 to 1798. However, when Noah resigned,
the family reunited in New Haven, Connecticut, and
were rarely separated thereafter. (p. 28)
Questions:
•  How can chants like FANBOYS help students remember characteristics of
compound sentences?
•  How can plays like Clauseville help students understand the difference
between compound and complex sentences?
•  What other plot lines might be important for students?
•  How do activities like Text Reconstruction support students in writing
compound and complex sentences?
•  How can you modify these activities to fit the age, level, needs of your
students?
Connecting Complex Sentences and Content
•  Quickly read the article about Mary Lindley Murrary
•  Place the event cards in the order they happened in time—some events might
be at the same time.
•  Create sentences that show time relationships between clauses.
Changing Tense/Aspect
•  I was talking with my friend outside when it started to rain
•  I ate breakfast before I walked to work.
References
•  Celce-Murcia, M. & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book: An ESL/
EFL teacher’s course (2nd ed.). Heinle: Boston, MA.
•  Cowan, R. (2008). The teacher’s grammar of English. Cambridge: New York,
NY.
•  Denham, K., and Lobeck, A. (2013). Linguistics for everyone, 2nd edition.
Wadworth, Cengage Learning
•  Student texts:
•  Deitz Shea, P. (2009). Noah Webster: Weaver of words. Calkins Creek:
Honesdale, PA.
•  Silxoc-Jarrett, D. (1998). Heroines of the American Revolution: America’s
founding mothers. Scholastic: New York, NY.
Mary!Lindley!Murray!
!
watched!the!British!
!
ships!land.!
!
!
!
A!maid!stayed!upstairs! !
and!watched!out!the!
!
window.!
!
!
The!maid!came!
downstairs!and!
offered!to!help.!
Mary!and!her!daughters!
put!on!their!prettiest!
dresses.!
!
Mary!and!her!daughters!
socialized!with!the!
officers.!
Mary!and!her!
daughters!said!goodA
bye!to!the!officers.!
The!American!soldiers!
retreated!safely!from!
New!York!City.!!!
Mary!decided!to!invite!
the!British!officers!for!
tea.!
When
The!British!ships!landed!
in!New!York!City.!!
As
While
After Before
Clauseville—Simple,!Compound,!and!Complex!Sentences!
By!Jennifer!D.!Green,!Ph.D.!
Western!Washington!University!
!
!
NARRATOR&1:& Welcome!to!this!week’s!episode!of!Clauseville.!!The!
story!takes!place!in!a!small!town!inhabited!by!independent!clauses!that!
make!simple!sentences.!!!
NARRATOR&2:! Yes—this!is!a!lovely!place!to!be.!!Everyone!lives!in!
peace—coAexisting!near!each!other.!
NARRATOR&3:& Right.!!Just!look!over!there.!!We!have!an!example!of!
this!in!the!following!group!of!young!clauses!that!seem!to!have!created!a!
story.!
(As!Narrator!1!reads!the!story—the!independent!clauses!hold!up!their!
clauses)!
NARRATOR&1:! It!was!a!sunny!day.!!Flora!went!outside.!!Alex!saw!her.!!
They!played!together.!!It!rained.!!They!ran!inside.!!They!ate!cookies!and!
drank!milk.!
NARRATOR&2:! Like!was!good—but!simple!with!simple!sentences.!It!
was!hard!to!create!more!exciting!or!interesting!stories.!
NARRATOR&3:! Until!one!day…!
FLORA&WENT&OUTSIDE:!
Wow—you!know!I!really!enjoy!spending!
time!near!“Alex!saw!her”!but!I!wish!I!could!be!more!connected!and!have!
a!stronger!relationship.!
NARRATOR&1:! All!of!a!sudden—several!FANBOYS!jumped!out!and!
said…!
FANBOYS:! We!can!help.!
FLORA&WENT&OUTSIDE:!
What?!?!?!!
AND:!We!are!the!FANBOYS!
(each!one!says!their!name—FOR,&AND,&NOR,&BUT,&OR,&YET,&SO)!
AND:!Our!job!is!to!link!up!words,!phrases,!and!clauses.!!Today!we!are!
going!to!help!all!of!the!clauses!connect!with!other!clauses.!
FLORA&WENT&OUTSIDE:!
What?!?!?!
BUT:! Let!me!explain.!!We!are!able!to!combine!two!or!more!clauses!into!
a!single!compound!sentence.!!Let’s!see—to!whom!do!you!want!to!
connect?!
FLORA&WENT&OUTSIDE:!
“Alex!saw!her.”!
AND:!!I!think!this!is!a!job!for!me.!!See,!you!put!me!in!front!of!the!second!
clause—you!can!separate!me!from!you!with!a!comma!(show!a!comma).!
ALEX&SAW&HER:! !Hold!on!!!I!don’t!mind!hanging!out!with!“Flora!went!
outside”!but!I!feel!uncomfortable!losing!my!independence.!!I!am!very!
independently!minded.!!!
AND:!Oh,!don’t!worry.!!You!will!still!be!an!independent!clause.!!We!are!
just!such!fans!of!independent!clauses—get!it!Fan—FANBOYS—anyway,!
we!are!such!fans!of!you!that!we!want!to!be!surrounded!by!you.!!That!is!
why!we!are!in!the!middle—we!want!to!be!where!the!action!is.!!So,!we!
would!say!“Flora!went!outside,!and!Alex!saw!her.”!!That!is!a!compound!
sentence.!
ALEX&SAW&HER:!!Oh—I!like!that.!!Could!you!also!make!“They!played!
outside,!but!suddenly,!it!rained.”!!???!
BUT:! Yes—that!is!a!great!example.!!We!help!to!connect!the!clauses!in!
meaningful!ways.!!Remember—we!are!always!in!the!middle!of!a!
compound!sentence.!
AND:!Right,!it!would!be!silly—and!wrong—to!say!“But!suddenly!it!
rained,!they!played!outside.”!!Terrible!really.!!!
(Clauses!are!very!excited—and!with!FANBOYS!they!start!to!form!some!
sentences—Show!the!sentences!on!sentence!strips)!
NARRATOR&1:! The!clauses!of!Clauseville!were!very!excited!that!the!
FANBOYS!came!to!Clauseville.!
NARRATOR&2:! Right—all!that!connecting!made!for!more!interesting!
stories.!!Just!take!the!story!they!formed!earlier.!They!were!able!to!
improve!it!by!making!several!compound!sentences.!
NARRATOR&3:! It!was!a!sunny!day,!so!Flora!went!outside.!!Alex!saw!
her,!and!they!played!together.!!Suddenly,!it!rained,!so!they!ran!inside.!!
They!ate!cookies!and!drank!milk.!
NARRATOR&1:! Much!better.!!I!like!that!there!are!still!some!simple!
sentences—like!the!last!sentence!with!just!a!compound!verb.!!Awesome.!
NARRATOR&2:! Yeah—I!am!a!fan!of!FANBOYS,!too.!Go!FANBOYS,!Go!
FANBOYS!
NARRATOR&3:! Yes,!the!FANBOYS!were!very!popular!for!a!while.!!The!
clauses!felt!their!lives!were!better!than!before.!!However,!soon!they!
realized!that!they!still!couldn’t!say!everything!they!wanted!to.!!They!
needed!more…!
THEY&RAN&INSIDE:!You!know—I!like!FANBOYS—but!sometimes!I!
really!want!to!show!a!stronger!relationship!between!other!clauses!and!
me.!!It!is!like!sometimes!I!feel!like!other!clauses!are!really!subordinate!
to!me—like!that!clause!“It!rained”.!!(said!with!some!distain).!
NARRATOR&1:! The!clauses!could!hear!some!rumbling!in!the!distance.!!
As!the!noise!got!louder,!they!realized!it!was…!
NARRATOR&2:! …A!motorcycle!gang.!!!They!were!a!tough!looking!
group.!
NARRATOR&3:! The!leader,!Because,!got!off!his!motorcycle!and!talked!
to!“They!ran!inside.”!
BECAUSE:! I!believe!you!are!looking!for!me.!
THEY&RAN&INSIDE:!!(Gulp)…huh?!!I!am?!!!
BECAUSE:!!Yep.!!(Snapping!finger)!Subordinators,!dismount.!!!
(Off!come!Although(Since,(While,(When,(Before,(After…)!
BECAUSE:! Our!job!is!connect!clauses!together!to!show!relationships.!!
As!it!happens—when!there!are!two!or!more!clauses!with!us—there!can!
only!be!one!independent!clause.!The!others!need!to!be!subordinate.!
(crack!fingers).!!!!
BECAUSE:! (Breaks!a!smile)!Actually,!we!are!really!nice—and!we!help!
to!clarify!meaning!in!complex!sentences.!!Let’s!take!you!and!that!“it!
rained”!clause…!!Let’s!see!if!I!can!create!some!magic…!!“They!ran!inside!
because!it!rained.”!!That!is!pretty!cool.!
THEY&RAN&INSIDE:!!I!love!it!!!It!is!perfect.!!Do!some!more,!do!some!
more….!
NARRATOR&1:!So,!the!Subordinators!went!to!work—creating!sentences!
like!!
(Subordinators:!hold!up!new!sentences!on!sentence!strips—several!
which!have!“They!rain!inside”!as!the!independent!clause)!
BECAUSE:! Hey.!“They!ran!inside”!we!need!to!talk.!!!
THEY&RAN&INSIDE:&
Do!you!have!another!subordinate!clause!for!me?!
BECAUSE:! That!is!the!thing,!you!can’t!always!be!the!independent!
clause.!!Sometimes!you!need!to!be!subordinate.!!It!isn’t!a!power!thing—
it!is!a!meaning!thing.!
THEY&RAN&INSIDE:!But…!(look!sad)!
BECAUSE:! Hear!me!out…just!because!you!are!subordinate!does!not!
mean!you!always!have!to!be!second!in!a!sentence.!!Unlike!FANBOYS—
we!can!start!a!complex!sentence.!!Plus—you!get!to!be!connected!with!
me…and!you!gotta!admit,!subordinators!are!pretty!cool.!!!
THEY&RAN&INSIDE:&
!
OK…show!me!how!this!might!look.!
BECAUSE:! !Flora!and!Alex!were!happier!because!they!ran!inside.!
THEY&RAN&INSIDE:&
I!like!it!
BECAUSE:! Because!they!ran!inside,!Flora!and!Alex!were!happier.!!
Notice!the!comma!use…you!gotta!use!a!comma!when!you!start!with!a!
subordinate!clause.!
THEY&RAN&INSIDE:!
Let’s!see!some!more…!
(The!subordinators!hold!up!a!variety!of!sentences!that!start!with!
subordinators)!
BECAUSE:! Remember!little!buddy—you!cannot!just!say!or!write!in!
formal!speech!and!writing,!“Because!they!ran!inside”!!Subordinators!AAA
and!subordinate!clauses!AAAnever!ride!alone.!(mime!revving!up!a!
motorcycle)!
NARRATOR&1:! Now!the!clauses!were!excited!because!they!could!
make!stories!like:!
Because!it!was!a!sunny!day,!Flora!went!outside.!!When!she!saw!her!
friend!Alex,!they!played!together.!!Suddenly,!it!rained.!!After!they!ran!
inside,!they!ate!cookies!and!drank!milk.!
NARRATOR&2:! Soon,!they!would!come!to!realize!that!they!could!use!
simple,!compound,!and!complex!sentences!in!a!sentence!story.!!
NARRATOR&3:! Join!us!next!week!as!the!Clauses!learn!about!other!
types!of!dependent!clauses!and!compoundAcomplex!sentences….!
!
!
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Text&Reconstruction&
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Name:!____________________________!!! !
Partner’s!name:!_____________________________!
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Text&type:!Biography!
Big&Idea:!Noah!Webster!was!a!family!man!
Key!Vocabulary!
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My!Notes!
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Resigned!
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Reunited!
Additional!notes!my!partner!had!
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http://pad1.whstatic.com/images/thumb/e/e7/ResignAfromAaAJobAStepA08.jpg/670pxAResignAfromAaAJobAStepA08.jpg!
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63BDgaPT8BU/UEH5d90HxlI/AAAAAAAAAUk/Haj2izDxbJs/s640/The+best+thing+about+long+distance+relationships+is+that+you+KNOW+you+will+see+that+p
erson+in+real+life+one+day.+When+that+day+comes+its+the+best+day+everAbestAquotesAsayingsAiAloveAyou.jpg!
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