This PPT gives a basic overview (or review) of complex sentences. These are important features of our language and essential for any English learner.

1. Complex Sentences
A brief overview

2. How to Identify
A complex sentence has one
independent clause and at least one
dependent clause.
I like spring because it’s a colourful
season.
independent dependent

3. How to Identify
The two clauses will be joined by a
subordinator (although, because, since,
etc) or relative pronoun (who, which,
that, etc).
Although it was raining, I walked to
work.
subordinator
In this example,
“although” is the
subordinator and thus
“Although it was raining”
is a dependent clause.

4. How to Form a Complex
Sentence
The formula looks like this:
independent clause + dependent clause
or
dependent clause + comma +
independent clause
= complex sentence

5. Comma Use
In a complex sentence, you can put the
dependent clause first or second.
However, you should be careful with
the punctuation. If the dependent clause
goes first in a sentence, it should be
followed by a comma. If the
independent clause comes first, no
comma is needed:
 Although it was raining, I walked to
work.

6. Mistakes to Avoid
You can drop the dependent clause, but
you cannot drop the independent one.
I walked to work.
Although it was raining.
The first example is now a simple
sentence, but the second is a sentence
fragment. Any single clause beginning
with a subordinator is a fragment. This
is a big mistake, and you should try to
avoid it in your IELTS writing.

7. A Matter of Importance
Subordinate clause is another way of
saying dependent clause. Subordinate
means that a clause is less important
than the main clause.

8. A Matter of Importance
Look at these two simple sentences:
 I was tired. I went to the shop.
Now look at this compound sentence:
 I was tired but I went to the shop.
In each case, the sentences have equal
meaning. They are equally important.

9. A Matter of Importance
In a complex sentence, however, one
clause is more important and one is
less important.
 Although I was tired, I went to the
shop.
Now the reader knows which part of the
sentence is the main idea – “I went to
the shop.”

11. Check out www.ted-ielts.com and
www.ielts-teaching.com for more IELTS
and ESL materials.