Lesson overview
Introduction
UNIVERSAL
Middle years and up
complex sentences
sentence construction
analysing sentences
grammar
- In this lesson, we take a look at the most mind-bending sentence type: complex sentences. We start the lesson by looking at sentences in terms of events, and show that a complex sentence is one where there is a hierarchy of events—a main event, and a supporting event which adds more detail. We then look at different kinds of supporting clauses (participle '-ed' and '-ing' clauses, infinitive 'to' clauses, and question word clauses), and different effects these clauses create in writing, such as creating vivid detail, giving reasons and conditions, qualifying the unknown, and describing the world indirectly through reported speech, thoughts, and perceptions. Throughout the lesson, we refer to the grammatical features and structures of complex sentences, including using clause components, as an analytical tool to understand the pros (efficiency, vivacity, and unique functions) and cons (potential for unwieldiness and ambiguity) of complex sentences.