Lesson 5: Complex Sentences
Clauses
Complex Sentences
At last, we have arrived at the namesake of this lesson! A complex sentence is a sentence with two or more distinct verbs. By distinct, we mean two or more verbal ideas. Having one verb idea with a two-word compound verb, or having a helping verb in addition to a main verb does not count.
Complex sentences will often have subordinating conjunctions in them. All of the sentences from the previous step with subordinating conjunctions were complex sentences. However, there are examples of complex sentences with coordinating conjunctions as well, as in, “I went outside and it started to rain.”
Finally, sentences with relative clauses, infinitives, or participles (all of which we will learn in Lesson 6) are likewise complex.
Note that our definition of Complex Sentence differs from what is common to most English grammars. Most grammars will distinguish from complex and compound and compound-complex sentences. They will also not count sentences with relative clauses, infinitives, and participles as complex. But, frankly speaking, we find those distinctions much more complex without any benefit! So we are keeping our definition of Complex Sentences simple for you. You’re welcome.
Let’s work through an example.
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” (1 John 1:7)
Finite vs Non-Finite Verbs (aka Verbals)
This is another important distinction when it comes to verbs.
fi·nite verb A verb inflected for person and tense —Wordnik
(“Inflected” means that the verb’s form changes.)
But when is a verb not inflected for person and tense? When the verb is in the participle or infinitive forms. You will learn about these two verb forms (called verbals) in Lesson 6. For now, just know that neither of these forms is inflected for person or tense, but rather keep the same form no matter where in the sentence they are, or what role they are playing.
Another practical way to think of the distinction between finite verbs and verbals is that finite verbs act like verbs, while verbals are verb forms taking the role of other parts of speech (adverbs, adjectives, objects, etc.)
Phrases vs Clauses
A phrase will be either non-verbal (prepositional phrase, genitive phrase, or appositional phrase) or non-finite. Again, non-finites will be discussed next lesson.
A clause, on the other hand, is a subject and finite verb, along with simple modifiers (adjectives, adverbs, non-verbal phrases, etc.). In a complex sentence, the independent part of the sentence will always be a clause, but the dependent part can be either a clause or a phrase.