Complex Sentences and Relative
Clauses–
An Introduction and Overview
Joe Ratermann
COMPLEX SENTENCES
Before discussing complex sentences, it is important to
understand the following:
• What is a phrase?
• What is a clause? (dependent / independent)
• What is a sentence?
COMPLEX SENTENCES
What is a phrase?
A phrase is a group of words that is not a complete thought.
A phrase cannot stand alone because it is missing either a
subject or a main verb.
For example (e.g.):
• The bird
• with her friend
• works in an office
COMPLEX SENTENCES
What is a clause?
There are two types of clauses: dependent and
independent.
•
Independent clauses can stand alone as complete sentences.
Eg. The birds sing beautifully.
•
Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences.
Eg. The birds that sing beautifully.
COMPLEX SENTENCES
What is a sentence?
A sentence is a group of words with a subject and verb that
is a complete thought. Because it can stand alone, it is also
known as an independent clause.
Examples:
The bird sings beautifully.
She went with her friend to a restaurant.
My father works in an office.
COMPLEX SENTENCES
Review:
Phrase– a group of words that are not complete thoughts and
cannot stand alone
Clause– a group of words with a subject and verb. Clauses can be
either independent or dependent.
Sentence– a group of words with a subject and a verb that is a
complete thought.
COMPLEX SENTENCES
Independent Clause
An independent clause, or sentence, is a group of words
with a subject and verb. It is a complete thought that CAN
stand alone.
For example:
The bird sings beautifully.
She went with her friend to a restaurant.
My father works in an office.
Independent Clause = Sentence
COMPLEX SENTENCES
Dependent Clauses
A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject and
verb. However, it is NOT a complete thought; therefore, it is
not a sentence.
For example:
The birds that sit in the tree
After she went with her friend to a restaurant
My father, whom I love deeply
COMPLEX SENTENCES
Now that we have briefly reviewed phrases, clauses and
sentences, we can study complex sentences.
Definition:
A complex sentence has one independent and one (or more)
dependent clauses.
COMPLEX SENTENCES
We know that an independent clause (sentence) has a
subject, a main verb, and is a complete thought.
• A dependent clause, of which there are several types, is
missing one of those key elements. To be used correctly
in English, a dependent clause needs to be attached to
an independent clause.
• When a sentence has an independent clause AND at
least one dependent clause, we call it a COMPLEX
SENTENCE.
Relative Clauses
The type of dependent clause in complex sentences that we will look at
today is the relative clause.
Definition: A relative clause gives more information about someone
or something referred to in a main clause. There are two types of
relative clauses– defining and non-defining.
A Defining Relative Clause (The Pink Book– “Type 1” clause):
• Provides information necessary to specify which person or thing we
mean, or which type of person or thing we mean.
A Non-Defining Relative Clause (The Pink Book– “Type 2” clause):
• Provides extra information about a noun, but is not necessary to
explain which person or thing we mean.
Relative Clauses
Examples:
(N) = non-defining (Type 2) (D) = defining (Type 1)
The bird, which I have never seen before, sings
beautifully. (N)
She went with her friend to the restaurant that John
owns. (D)
My father, whom I love dearly, works in an office. (N)
Relative Clauses
Examples of complex sentences using relative clauses:
from the reading “Cultural Childhoods”, (Real
Communication textbook) p.22-23):
“Today, a four year old who can tie his or her shoes is impressive.”
(p.22) Sentence with a defining relative clause (without the relative
clause, we would not know which four-year olds the author means.)
The Beng, who’ve been extensively studied by another
anthropologist, Alma Gottlieb, believe in a spirit world where
children live before they are born and where they know all human
languages and understand all cultures.
(p.23) Sentence with one non-defining and one defining relative
clause. Which is the defining and which is the non-defining? Why?
Relative Clauses
Relative clauses are characterized by the use of a relative
pronoun that introduces additional information. These
pronouns are used in both defining and non-defining
relative clauses. Below is a list of the most common relative
pronouns:
who
whom
which
that
where
when
what
why
whose
of which, of whom
Relative Clauses
Now, let’s look at Units 91– 95 in the Murphy textbook in
order to get a better understanding and some practice with
relative clauses.
Sources
Most of the material in this presentation is original. Some, however, was
retrieved from and adapted for use by Joe Ratermann from various sources
including:
• Focus on Grammar 4, 4th Ed., Fuchs and Bonner, (2012), Pearson
Education ESL
• Real Communication 3 – An Integrated Course, McMillan Publishers Ltd.,
2009
• J. McDonald, St. Petersburg, FL (http://www.authorstream.com/) (Feb,
2012)
• The website http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/410/.htm,
(Feb, 2012)
• The website https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/645/1/ (Feb,
2012)