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VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English Language => Topic started by: chocolate.cake.1 on January 23, 2015, 07:19:46 pm

Title: Why is this a complex sentence?
Post by: chocolate.cake.1 on January 23, 2015, 07:19:46 pm

Hi everyone,
I've been flicking through various English Language resources and websites while doing my holiday homework...

And I've come across this sentence that is confusing me, and apparently its a complex sentence:
'If you are thinking about starting a business, you might benefit from our free seminars and online visits'

However I thought it would be a compound-complex as it contains the subordinating conjunction 'if' and the coordinating conjunction 'and'...

Could someone please explain why this is a complex sentence??

Thanks in advance :) :)

Title: Re: Why is this a complex sentence?
Post by: Bruzzix on January 23, 2015, 07:50:34 pm

A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
The independent clause is the sentence that makes sense on it's own.
So for this example, "you might benefit from our free seminars and online visits" is the independent clause.
The dependent clause does not make sense on its own, therefore "If you are thinking about starting a business" would be the dependent clause, hence this sentence is complex.

Title: Re: Why is this a complex sentence?
Post by: nhuwyn on January 23, 2015, 07:54:36 pm

A compound-complex sentence actually has two (or more) equal clauses and one (or more) dependent clause. In this case, there's only one independent clause and one dependent, therefore makes it a complex sentence.

A complex sentence has two or more clauses, where there is one subordinate clause. A subordinating conjunction may be a marker of a subordinate clause and for this example, it would be "If" just like how you stated :)

It is a complex sentence because one clause depends on the other clause to make sense or be fulfilled.

I have separated the two clauses in brackets.
"[If you are thinking about starting a business], [you might benefit from our free seminars and online visits]"
            (Dependent)                                                                 (Independent)

If "If you are thinking about starting a business" was standing alone for sentence, it would feel unfinished therefore depends on another clause for it to be complete.

I hope this makes sense!

Title: Re: Why is this a complex sentence?
Post by: grannysmith on January 23, 2015, 07:55:50 pm

Just to add, a compound-complex has two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate/dependent clauses. In this particular example, we only find one of each - or more importantly, only a single independent clause, which Bruzzix has correctly pointed out.

Edit: beaten

Title: Re: Why is this a complex sentence?
Post by: pancham on January 23, 2015, 07:59:59 pm

Hi!

I'm pretty sure that it's because the 'and' doesn't connect clauses, just the two nouns 'seminar' and 'online visits' to form the subject (because in active voice it would be 'Free seminars and online visits (subjects) might (modal auxiliary) benefit (verb) you (object)').

However, if we were to segregate the sentence at 'if' as well as 'and' it would end up like:
If you are thinking about starting a business || You might benefit from our free seminars || and online visits

For a sentence to be compound-complex there needs to be both independent and dependent clauses, as well a clause which is coordinating with another clause. So basically this isn't a compound-complex because 'and online visits' isn't a clause - rather just part of the clause 'You might benefit from our free seminars and online visits'.

Edit: ...Oh god, I am crazily late LOL

Title: Re: Why is this a complex sentence?
Post by: chocolate.cake.1 on January 23, 2015, 10:09:45 pm

Thank you so much for all your explanations!!
Yay I understand now  :) :) :)