The following sentence about a science experiment is a complex sentence. Using complex sentences can improve your writing and clarify relationships between ideas in a sentence.
I labeled the jars A and B before I poured one cup of water into each jar.
independent clause dependent clause
Both clauses have a subject and a verb, but only the independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a complete thought and the main idea of the sentence. The dependent clause is related to the main idea, but it cannot stand alone because it is an incomplete thought. When you combine an independent clause with a dependent clause, you create a complex sentence.
A subordinating conjunction shows how the two ideas are connected. The subordinating conjunction before tells when the jars were labeled—before I poured one cup of water into each jar.
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Subordinating Conjunctions and Their Uses |
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| although, even though, though, despite | contrast ideas |
| because, since, so that | give reasons |
| after, as, before, once, since, until, when, whenever, while | show time order |
| if, unless, whether | give conditions |
| where, wherever | show place |
The clauses in a complex sentence can be in any order. If the dependent clause comes first, it should have a comma after it: Before I poured one cup of water into each jar, I labeled the jars A and B.
Take a look at the notes Max wrote about a science experiment he was doing in his lab. One of the sentences is compound and the other is complex. Can you tell which is which?
I covered one jar with a lid, but I left the other jar uncovered. After I measured the water levels, I entered the data on a spreadsheet.