What is a complex sentence?
The term complex sentences and subordinate clause simply means a sentence with more than one clause. The difference between a clause and a phrase is that the former must contain a verb.
This article will look at a few common kinds of clauses. The main aim behind this is to make you aware of the variety of structures that are available for expressing yourself. Showing that you can use a range of structures is an essential requirement for getting a level 7 score.
What is the difference between dependent and independent clauses?
As the names suggest, an independent (or ‘main’) clause is one that can exist on its own.
Example: ‘I worked eight hours today.’
In contrast, you cannot use a dependent (or ‘subordinate’) clause on its own to form sentences.
Example: ‘Because I had a lot to do.’ is not a sentence.
‘I worked eight hours today. because I had a lot to do.’ is a sentence.
What is the difference between finite and non-finite clauses?
A finite clause refers to a clause with a verb that shows tense. They can be main or subordinate clauses.
Examples: ‘It is raining..’, ‘Although it rained, …..’
A non-finite clause contains a verb but one that does not indicate tense. Non-finite verbs are mainly only used in subordinate clauses. Such clauses are often used when the subject is the same in the subordinate and main clause.
Example: ‘After taking the exam, I went out with my friends.’
What is a relative cause?
A relative clause allows the writer to give more information about a subject or object without having to repeat words already used. Instead of needing two sentences, the writer can convey information in one sentence.
Example: ‘The policeman stopped the car. The car was swerving all over the road.’ This can become:
‘The policeman stopped the car, which was swerving all over the road.’
There are three types of relative clauses: defining, non-defining, and sentential.
What is a defining relative clause?
A defining relative clause as its name suggests, defines the subject or object it refers to. By ‘defines’, we mean gives essential information.
Examples: ‘She is the woman who gave me the idea for the project.’
‘I like a car which I can drive without worrying about breaking down.’
What is a non-defining relative clause?
A non-defining relative clause is used to give extra but not necessary information about a subject or object. In this case, ‘not necessary’ means we don’t need the extra information to understand the content of the main clause. Commas are required to separate the main and subordinate clause.
Example: ‘My boss, who I’ve known for over twenty years, suddenly decided to leave the company.’
What is a sentential relative clause?
This type of clause refers to the whole of a clause or a whole sentence. The pronoun used for such clauses is always ‘which’.
Example: Everyone worked and no-one wanted to leave until the job was done, which impressed me a lot.
The key to accurately using relative clauses is to understand which relative pronouns are required. Here is a table with the main pronouns showing when they should be used.
| Relative pronoun | Type of clause | What or who they refer to |
| who | defining and non-defining | people ( pets also possible) |
| which | defining and non-defining; sentential | animals and things |
| that | defining | people, animals and things |
| whose | defining and non-defining | possessive for people, animals, and sometimes things in formal situations |
| whom | defining and non-defining | people in formal styles and in writing |
| no relative pronoun | defining | When the relative pronoun refers to the object of the main clause |
Exercise 1
How many clauses are there in the following sentences taken from answers to task 1 (general and academic) questions?
- I’d like to study electrical engineering at university in Australia next year and I hope you can give me some advice.
- When I got home, I discovered that there was a small hole in the left sleeve, where the stitching had unravelled.
- By comparing fruit sugar, cane sugar and honey, which are all common ingredients of sweet foods, we find that cane sugar lowers pH levels for the longest period, thus producing the greatest risk of the three.
Exercise 2
Identify the clauses in the following and note whether they are finite (fin) or non-finite(non-fin).
- Being short of money, I always check prices carefully before buying anything.
- Having said this, many people still prefer LPs to CDs.
- If you want to learn to speak a foreign language fluently, then you should seriously consider going to live for a lengthy period of time in a country which speaks the language you are learning.
Exercise 3
Choose the correct relative pronoun in the following:
- He is very conservative, that/which is why he so dislikes change.
- A group of researchers, all of which/whose members are under 30 have made an amazing breakthrough.
- The chart that/ which is easiest to understand is the middle one.
- The calculation, that/which I carried out yesterday, unfortunately proved to be inaccurate.
Exercise 4
In which of the sentences below can the parts in bold be omitted?
- The examples that were given were all misleading.
- The results, which were released yesterday, have forced the forced the team to reconsider the project.
- A sample, which was 6cm long, was used in the demonstration.
- The universities that will survive are those that can offer high level tuition at a reasonable price
Exercise 5
The following are excerpts from answers to Task 2 questions. Add the missing subordinate clauses from the box below.
Qn: “Although abuse of the system are inevitable, social welfare payments are essential to protect the rights citizens have to a guaranteed minimum income in a democratic society” Discuss.
- The second reason is that crime increases when people have no means of support. The desperately poor inevitably turn to crime, …………………………………………………..
- It is surely the fault of the government ………………………………………………..
- ……………………..welfare payments the poor are destined to become poorer.
Qn: Studying the English language in an English-speaking country is the best but not the only way to learn language. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
- …………………………………, their knowledge of grammar is often quite advanced.
- Also, students can experience the culture firsthand,……………………… This is especially true, ……………………………….., as exchange students for example.
- In general,…………………………………………….. , a reasonable level of English can be achieved in one’s own country,……………………………………………………….
| if they choose to live with a British family | if a student is gifted and dedicated to study | Not having |
| if there are long-term unemployed. | which is not only dangerous but costly. | Although their spoken English is not usually of a very high standard |
| even though it is preferable to study English in an English-speaking country | which is a great help when trying to understand the language |
Look out for complex sentence when you are reading. The more you read the more you can build up the range of sentence patterns you feel confident to use.
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Answers to exercises
Exercise 1
How many clauses are there in the following paragraphs taken from answers to task 1 (general and academic) questions?
- I’d like to study electrical engineering at university in Australia next year / and I hope you can give me some advice. 2
- When I got home ,/ I discovered that there was a small hole in the left sleeve,/ where and the stitching had unravelled. 3
- By comparing fruit sugar, cane sugar and honey, / which are all common ingredients of sweet foods, / we find that cane sugar lowers pH levels for the longest period,/ thus producing the greatest risk of the three. 4
Exercise 2
Identify the clauses in the following and note whether they are finite (fin) or non-finite(non-fin).
- Being short of money, / I always check prices carefully / before buying anything.
non-fin fin non-fin
- Having said this,/ many people still prefer LPs to CDs.
non-fin / fin
- If you want to learn to speak a foreign language fluently
non-fin
then you should seriously consider /
fin
going to live for a lengthy period of time in a country /
non-fin
which speaks the language / you are learning.
fin fin
Exercise 3
Choose the correct relative pronoun in the following
- He is very conservative, that/which is why he so dislikes change.
- A group of researchers, all of which/whose members are under 30,have mad an amazing breakthrough.
- The chart that/ which is easiest to understand is the middle one.
- The calculation, that/which I carried out yesterday, unfortunately proved to be inaccurate.
Exercise 4
In which of the sentences below can the parts in bold be omitted?
Can omit
- The examples( that were )given were all misleading.
- The results,( which were )released yesterday, have forced the forced the team to reconsider the project.
- A sample, (which was) 6cm long, was used in the demonstration.
Cannot omit:
- The universities that will survive are those that can offer high level tuition at a reasonable price
Exercise 5
The following are excerpts from answers to Task 2 questions. Add the missing subordinate clauses from the box below.
- The second reason is that crime increases when people have no means of support. The desperately poor inevitably turn to crime, which is not only dangerous but costly.
- It is surely the fault of the government if there are long-term unemployed.
- Not having welfare payments, the poor are destined to become poorer.
- Although their spoken English is not usually of a very high standard, their knowledge of grammar is often quite advanced.
- Also, students can experience ‘the culture’ first-hand, which is a great help when trying to understand the language. This is especially true if they choose to live with a British family, as exchange students for example.
- In general, even though it is preferable to study English in an English-speaking country, a reasonable level of English can be achieved in one’s own country, if a student is gifted and dedicated to study.
