One way to add variety to your writing is to play with sentence structures. The four primary sentence structures are simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.
Today, we’re looking at compound-complex sentences. These are the most complicated sentence structures, but when done properly, they can improve the flow of your writing.
Read on to learn more about what compound-complex sentences are and how to write them.
As the name suggests, a compound-complex sentence comprises a compound and a complex sentence.
A sentence is compound when it has two (or more) independent clauses. A sentence is complex when it combines one independent clause with at least one dependent clause.
As a result, a sentence must have two (or more) independent clauses, and at least one dependent clause to become a compound-complex sentence.
Compound-complex sentences are typically the longest of all sentences. Compound-complex sentences allow you to add a layer of complexity to your writing. They improve the flow and keep your readers engaged. They’re also useful if you’re explaining complicated ideas.
Let’s pull apart a compound-complex sentence to see how they work.
First, we have our dependent clause: “Though Samantha prefers peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.” Then, there are two independent clauses: “she ordered a pastrami on rye,” and “she thought it was delicious.” In this sentence, the coordinating conjunction "and" joins the two independent clauses.
Here are four simple steps for how to write effective compound-complex sentences.
Comma splices are a common mistake to make when writing compound-complex sentences. Use a grammar checker, such as ProWritingAid, to identify any instances of comma splices, so you can fix them and strengthen your sentences.
The easiest way to understand the structure of a compound-complex sentence is to first understand the structures of compound and complex sentences.
When two or more independent clauses are put together, they create a compound sentence. Independent clauses are complete sentences.
Let’s look at an example of a compound sentence:
The sentence above has two independent clauses, “there are some ruins near my house,” and “I go there sometimes when I need to think.”
A coordinating conjunction typically joins the independent clauses in a compound sentence. In the sentence above, the conjunction "and" joins the independent clauses. The other six coordinating conjunctions that can be used are “for,” “or,” “nor,” “but,” “yet,” and “so.”
You can also join compound sentences with a semicolon instead of a coordinating conjunction and a comma. For example, we can write the same sentence above like this:
To be considered complex, a sentence needs to have an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. For example:
In the sentence above there’s an independent clause, “there are some ruins near my house” and a dependent clause, “which my cousins and I used to play in when we were younger.”
In complex sentences, subordinate conjunctions introduce dependent clauses. In the sentence above, we used “which.” Other subordinate conjunctions include “after,” “although,” “if,” “until,” and “while.”
A compound-complex sentence is like a Frankenstein's monster made up of compound sentence structure and complex sentence structure. it has bits of both sentence types. Here is an example of a compound-complex sentence:
This sentence includes two independent clauses and one dependent clause.
Let’s break down the sentence to highlight all the relevant sections of the sentence:
Compound-complex sentences are very useful in analytical and academic writing for explaining complicated topics. Creative writers can also use them to add interest and engage their readers.
Here are a few more examples of compound-complex sentences:
Remember, your compound-complex sentence needs to have:
Now you’re well on your way to using compound-complex sentences in your own writing. Play around with your sentence structures, so your writing doesn’t become monotonous.
Use a variety of sentence types and use ProWritingAid’s sentence structure report to show you where your sentences could use a little more attention.
Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.
