complex sentence:
is a group of words which has ‘one main clause’ and ‘one or more subordinate clauses’. The main clause is used without any conjunction but the subordinate clause must be used with any of the subordinate conjunctions, such as because, as, so, when, who, which, if, unless, where, so that, so…that, though, although, as if, as though, etc.
*Remember that the coordinate conjunctions mentioned in the ‘compound sentence’, ‘and/but/or’, do not belong to this group.
e.g.
He went back home early because he was tired.
‘He went back home early’ — main clause
‘because’ — subordinate conjunction (included in the subordinate clause)
‘because he was tired’ — subordinate clause (reason)
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Author: B C Kumar
Mr. Kumar, an English language teacher, having taught in many countries around the world including Ethiopia and Oman shares this English Language Reference website using material that he has written and compiled during the past 20 years.
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