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  • English Sentence Structure 2: Complex Sentences

    This is the second part in our series about sentence structure and word order. I hope that this will help our students and their writing. The video below will help explain complex sentences. These are longer sentences in English made up of one independent clause (simple sentence) and one dependent clause (incomplete sentence). Often times these longer sentences are confusing and students start making mistakes when trying to speak or write them. Watch the video below and do the exercises:


    Write your answers in comments, and we’ll respond.

    Use the subordinates below to create sentences:

    because, after, before, if, since, while, when, once

    _______she left for Mexico                          _____ the play had finished          ____I’m tired      ________ she was seeing other men.

    _____we get the final approval              ______she saw me                    ______she was making dinner

     

    1. He didn’t see her __________________.

    2. I came home late __________________.

    3. ______________________, I’m going to have some coffee.

    4. ______________________, Paul went to the gym.

    5. He was really angry with her, ___________________.

    6. I’ll finish the project ______ we get the final approval.

    7. _________________, I looked the other direction.

    Use the relative pronouns below to create the second type of complex sentences. 

    that she bought from the bakery                                            which had died two weeks ago                         who won the race                                     where we are going to eat

    1. The girl ______________ was from Kenya.

    2. The place _______________ has a really good atmosphere.

    3. The cake ________________ is amazing!

    4. The computer__________________ needs to be taken to the computer repair specialist.

     

    • André Dertrudes de Macena

      All these exercíses are very good to me, please send more exercíse equal to these for me. Thank you good night.

      • LOIEnglish

        Thanks André! I am glad that you like them. Please note: these exercises are good FOR me. We use ‘for’ in this case because we are receiving something. Carrots are good FOR me. (I’m receiving the nutrients from the carrots.) André, you should try answering some of the exercises in the comments. It can be really useful to have someone correct your answers.

    • André Dertrudes de Macena

      Gosto das músicas das Bangles, gostei muito muito boa esta aula.

    • André Dertrudes de Macena

      Mandem mais exercícios.

    • André Dertrudes de Macena

      Muito bom.

    • André Dertrudes de Macena

      Olha todos esses exercícios eu imprimo e respondo no papel, não aqui depois passo as respostas dos exercícios feitos. boa noite e obrigado.

    • Anna

      Part 1
      1. He didn’t see her since she left for Mexico.
      2. I came home late after the play had finished.
      3. I’m tired once I’m going to have some cofe.
      4. She was seeingother man while Paul went to the gym.
      5. He was very angry with her because she was seeing other men.
      6. I’ll finish the project after we get the final approval.
      7. She saw me when I looked the other direction.
      Part2
      1. The girl who won the race was from Kenya.
      2. The place where we are going to eat has a really good atmosphere.
      3. The cake that she bought from the bakery is amazing!
      4. The computer wich had died two weeks ago needs to taken to the computer repair specialist.

      • LOIEnglish

        Anna…you had some difficulty choosing the correct subordinates.

        Question 1: He didn’t see her BEFORE she left for Mexico. (Remember SINCE is usually used in present perfect tense sentences. This is a Past Simple sentence, so we are dealing with linear time.)

        Question 3: BECAUSE I’m tired, I’m going to have some coffee.

        Question 4: While she was making dinner, Paul went to the gym.

        Question 7. When she saw me, I looked the other direction.

        Good work on the second part!

    • LOIEnglish

      Hmmm. Flavia, you did really well in the second part. But the first part you had a lot of difficulty. I’ll give you the Subordinate that goes in the sentences and then give it a try to match the sentence halves:

      …before she left for Mexico
      ….after the play had finished
      Because I’m tired….
      ….because she was seeing other men.

      ….after we get final approval.

      When she saw me….
      While she was making dinner….

      Now try to match the sentence halves. Maybe it will be clearer for you.

    • Ilka

      1. He didn’t see her before she left for Mexico.

      2. I came home late after the play had finished.

      3. Because I’m tired, I’m going to have some coffee.

      4. While she was making dinner, Paul went to the gym.

      5. He was really angry with her, because she was seeing other men.

      6. I’ll finish the project before we get the final approval.

      7. When she saw me, I looked the other direction.

      ****

      1. The girl who won the race was from Kenya.

      2. The place where we are going to eat has a really good atmosphere.

      3. The cake that she bought from the bakery is amazing!

      4. The computer which had died two weeks ago needs to be taken to the computer repair specialist.

      • LOIEnglish

        Good work Ilka.

    • Wellington

      1. He
      didn’t see her, once she left for Mexico

      2. I came
      home late, after the play had finished

      3. If we get
      the final approval, I’m going to have some coffee

      4. She was
      making dinner, while Paul went to the gym

      5. He was
      really angry with her, because she was seeing other men.

      6. I’ll
      finish the project, before we get the final approval.

      7. She saw
      me, when I looked the other side

      • LOIEnglish

        Wellington,

        Question #3 is: I’m going to have some coffee, because I’m tired.

        Question #7: When she saw me, I looked the other direction/way.

    • Wellington

      1. The girl
      who won the rice was from Kenya.

      The place
      where we are going to eat has a really good atmosphere.

      3. The cake
      that she bought from the bakery is amazing!

      4. The
      computer which had died two weeks ago needs to be taken to the computer repair
      specialist.