It was as if she was being forced to divulge what she wanted to tell but had promised not to. His tone didn't change, as if she'd just told him she was going shopping instead of sacrificing the rest of her life for his people. He tucked her under the covers as if she were a child. But if it happens to be a group of related words that does not contain a subject or a verb, then it is simply a phrase. Five sets of predatory eyes fell to her, as if realizing there was a lame lamb in their midst. She shook her head as if he were the fool. It wasn't as if he had to be there every living minute of his life. Sofia held onto him as if his life depended on it and shook her head to clear the dizziness. He rode as if he were part of the horse, his lean body swaying with the stride of the graceful animal. Rhyn wasn.t coming back for her, yet her heart felt as if it.d fall out of her chest. Westlake looked at it, as if seeing it for the first time. "Great to see you up here, Jennifer!" She roamed the apartment again and opened all the closets and drawers, not surprised to find them filled, as if she'd lived there all her life and hadn't just arrived. There were handprints on the windows, as if someone had tried to escape, and blood splattered on the ceiling and the walls. conditionals. His attention returning to the lap desk, he picked up the pencil as if ready to write something - and then put it down. Grandma goes to church alone. Darkyn's mate blinked rapidly, as if near tears. Sofia hung up the phone, feeling as if she were emerging from a stupor for the first time in months. He changed mechanically, as if accustomed to removing bloody clothing several times a day. Instead, she prepared for the day as if it were her last. A compound sentence has two or more clauses of the equal rank. All complex sentences have ONLY one independent clause. Nishani started with small adjustments to the battle before her, as if testing for the results of her decisions. It wasn't as if they could do anything anyway. She bristled, feeling as if she'd been sentenced to nothing more than a sewing circle for good little wives. Log in. This is an independent clause because it's a complete sentence containing a subject and a verb and fully expressing an idea. His body was stiff, as if he wasn't used to hugging her. Weller took another bite of his sandwich, waved Dean to a seat as if he were the host, and continued with his discourse. 5. He trailed, as if uncertain he wanted to follow at all. His voice was weak, as if he were far away. Let's start with an independent clause, one that can stand alone: 1. He was dressed in black but not in SWAT gear, as if he knew nothing in this world could hurt him. Her eyes strayed to the closet, as if wondering if Kiera found the boxes. His eyes fell to a toaster on the dresser with two socks resting beside it, as if waiting for their turn to warm her feet in the morning. Adrienne screamed, cramming her foot into the floor as if she, too, had a break pedal. Jerome appeared, overly chipper, talking up the other climbers as if he was a life-long participant in the sport, not a second day novice. It's as if they might have been switched—from a real skeleton. His every look was penetrating, as if he sought to capture her thoughts whenever she crossed his path. Jade shook his head, as if tormented by his own thoughts. Deidre stared at him as if deciding whether she wanted to be angry or disappointed. Examples of simple sentences a) Dogs bark. If you use complex sentences, you will get a higher score. A complex sentence is a type of sentence structure that combines an independent clause with at least one dependent or subordinate clause. He was dressed in worn clothing and shoes and flattened his palms against the window, as if he'd never been on a train before. "I didn't come to argue, though I am sorry if I hurt your feelings, Kiera," Evelyn said with a small sigh, as if irritated by the apology. You can see that the subordinating conjunction is connected to the subordinate clause. A look of pained yearning crossed the girl's face, as if she wanted badly to speak but couldn't. Feeling as if she'd said too much, she turned and fled the cottage for her car and locked the doors. I also help you find the best study tips and training techniques that work for you. It wasn't as if she had any part in becoming that way, nor did it make her a better person. There was no human color in the woman's pale cheeks, and her expression was emotionless, as if carved from marble. But they didn't sound as if they had a clue about what was going on. The predicate part of the sentences begins with the verb. When Martha was in a session with Howie, Betsy took over, coveting the child as if she were her own. He sat on a boulder near the entrance, as if he were the bouncer trying to prevent someone like her from exiting. Her hair glowed as if it were on fire, and she floated, her slender form clad in simple leggings and a tunic. He smiled at Cynthia who looked as if she'd been out to lunch during an important discussion but she said nothing. For us to fully understand the role of clauses in constructing complex sentences, let us take a look at the examples given below: Wrong – Because they … purpose. It certainly sounds as if it might be the thoughts of one of—those girls— not Mrs. Martin. See more. She continued the conversation as if nothing had happened. The tiny specs indicating crafts or personnel in the 3D image moved and changed; the image itself spun slowly, as if to present her with all sides of the battle at once. she said sternly. Someone had a campfire and it looked as if the door on the mine was used for fire wood. While Katie sipped on her cappuccino Although this sentence contains a subject (Katie) and a verb (sipped), it's not a complete thought - we still need more information. One of the portals flickered as if in response. Jonny glanced at Jenn, as if noticing for the first time that she wasn't armed. 3, Yes. 5. Edith hesitated, as if pondering her answer. "Do you think he's dead?" Trina slept late, yet she made it to school on time. "Rhyn is our…guest," Kris said, as if eating glass shards. For a few minutes they held on to each other, kissing as if they hadn't seen each other in a week. You can see that the whole dependent clause is functioning as an adverb modifying smiled. His name is Merrill Cooms, Brennan stated, sounding as if I should know the man. She looked down at her son, as if just now noticing his presence. Effie stood in the middle of the room, as if enthralled and after all the smiles and appropriate handshakes, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The rough track he followed ceased to exist, as if the vehicle had become airborne in its terrible fall. 4. Kris was frozen in place, as if not yet registering what had happened. Wrong! Dulce stared at her for a moment, as if considering it for the first time. Verb clauses are also referred to as main clauses or matrix clauses. It's as if she's bent on degrading herself. She paused, as if waiting for a comment, but he gave none. She stood, as if to tell him their conversation was over. Their surroundings looked as if someone had left a fog machine on too long in a gym. It was almost as if he were shutting Felipa off before she could reveal something. A strange energy ran between them, as if she could absorb the faint stream of his magic. Cynthia continued to cling to Martha as if letting go would somehow cause the child to disappear. Paul Dawkins wiped his face with his hand and looked at Dean as if to ask if he were serious. The last word ended on the upturn, as if it were a question, not a statement. When you use two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses, you are forming compound-complex sentences. So, you can see that all of the clauses above are working sentences. The hours were perfect, nine to five, and the job sounded as if it were tailored for her. A temporary sensation entered her mind, as if a breeze ruffled through her thoughts. Rocking back and forth, head bowed, Edith began to touch herself, her cheek, her arms, her body, again and again, as if indicating where she had been struck but unable to utter the painful words. The first sentence structure in English is the simple sentence. She did it gently, as if not to disturb the victim. She looked to Howie before answering, as if looking for direction. His gaze was intense, as if he wanted to tell her something. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. His eyes found Bianca, who stood shivering in the rain, staring towards the fire, as if waiting for Jonny to reappear. Without him, Kris felt as if he were alone trying to solve the world.s problems. We met rather few people who spoke English. It looks as if they were kind enough to just let the air out—not slash them. A complex sentence consists of an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A main clause is a clause that makes sense on its own and can also exist in a sentence on its own. I asked her, as if it was business as usual. "He has a gun," Cynthia said, as if hesitant to speak in front of the young girl. His gaze narrowed, as if about to accuse her of lying. ; Also, using conjunctions … A clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb. The dog ate popcorn. Jade shook his head, feeling as if madness born of desperation were creeping into his mind with the pain. Example: This is a question about whether ‘fast food’ or ‘junk food’ should be taxed at a … Then she added, We've always treated you exactly the same as if we were your natural parents. My head throbbed and my side felt as if a car, no, an SUV were parked on me. She was scared to turn around, almost as if afraid he'd be passing out his phone number to every lithe, beautiful Amazonian they passed. Han asked, extending his hand as if approaching a wounded animal. She just shrugged her shoulders as if she could care less about his lack of vocalization and moseyed over to near where Fred and the boy were sitting, the notebook between them. For one brief instant, he looked at Adrienne as if he actually saw her. The cat declined a lap-offer in favor of the purple rocker, Martha's chair, as if to question the whereabouts of her missing friend. Occasionally he glanced behind him, as if searching for someone, or something, that might be watching. Rhyn smashed himself against the cell, as if to prove his strength. This page has more examples of complex sentences, a video explanation, and an interactive exercise. Or whatever, she paused, as if waiting for his response, before continuing. He reached for her, but his scarred hand passed through hers, as if all that remained of him was a ghost of the man he'd been. It was only moments later when his fears were realized by the gnashing, booming, ripping sound of metal on rock, echoing across the valley like a clap of thunder, repeating and repeating, as if car after car had met a similar fate, further and further away. Complex Sentence = Subordinate Clause + Comma (,) + Independent Clause. The rules of the transformation of sentences are many. It wasn't like the Magician's magic, which somehow fused with his, as if they were one person sharing one source of power. And yet, he couldn't help feeling as if he alone bore the weight of his planet on his back as he struggled to pay for food, water, and weapons. Lydia put her hand on his knee, as if Cynthia were not in the room. A verb clause is an independent clause that is formed by a subject and a predicate. The heat of his large hands made her feel as if she wore no clothing. She gazed out the window as if she hadn't noticed anything unusual. She paused, as if searching for the right words, then continued. Cynthia surmised that when they did appear, they were oversights on the part of the writer who unconsciously placed them as if she were writing in a normal, un-coded fashion. A complex sentence isn’t always better but when used correctly can add more sophistication to your writing. Her mind was too busy, and she felt as if she hovered on the verge of a mental breakdown. When should I use complex sentences? The smaller woman was still, as if afraid to move. Spoken English tends to mainly use simple and compound sentences, but higher-level writing (e.g. He was watching her, as if contemplating what she said. She looked at him, as if she didn't want to go there. The last word was upturned, as if it were a question. Cop two remained a dozen steps behind them as if to let the pair know they'd better do as they were told. Effie put her hand to her chest, as if she might faint. She was red-eyed, as if sleep had eluded her. Her father's voice warbled as if through water. His head remained shoved under a pillow, and his body relaxed, as if he were falling back asleep. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, but a dependent clause even though it has a subject and a verb cannot stand alone. Edith sniffed once, lowered her head, and continued to eat, as if ignoring what had happened might make the pain disappear. His coast-to-coast trek few weeks, as if they had n't moved, as if Dean 's arm felt if. 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