Compound-complex sentences
You know that sentence 1 is a compound sentence:
1. Martha left me a note but I can’t find it.
You also know that sentence2 is a complex sentence:
2. She answered him impatiently when he questioned her credentials.
Like all compound sentences, sentence 1 contains at least two complete sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction, in this case but. And like all complex sentences, sentence 2 contains a main clause with at least one dependent clause; the dependent clause begins with a subordinating conjunction, in this case when.
But what about this next sentence?
3. I’ll leave a message for the plumber but I’m not sure that he’ll get it.
You won’t be surprised to learn that sentences such as sentence 3, which are both compound (two clauses connected with but) and complex (two clauses connected with that), are called compound-complex sentences. These are sentences that contain at least two main clauses, and at least one of the main clauses has at least one dependent clause.
Quick tip
A compound-complex sentence is a combination of a compound and a complex sentence: it has at least two main clauses and at least one dependent clause. Example: His friends were always there for William, and he appreciated the help that they often gave him.
Here are some more examples of compound-complex sentences, with the complete sentences in bold and the dependent clauses underlined:
4. While the house looked nice from the outside, the floors were sagging and the walls were crumbling.
5. The woman who lives next door is very friendly but I forgot her name.
6. I thanked him for his efforts but he insisted that he hadn’t minded.
7. If we don’t hurry, we’ll have to see a different movie, or we’ll have to come back later.
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