A complex sentence links two or more ideas within one sentence.
The two parts, or clauses, are usually linked by a conjunction.
In the following sentence, the conjunction because is used to link the two clauses.
Mr Jones forgot to collect his suitcase because he was in a hurry.
The main clause in a complex sentence makes sense on its own.
Mr Jones forgot to collect his suitcase because he was in a hurry.
The subordinate clause begins with the conjunction and does not make sense on its own.
Mr Jones forgot to collect his suitcase because he was in a hurry.
A subordinate clause can be at the beginning of a sentence or at the end. Moving the clauses around can make your writing more varied and interesting to read.
Because he was in a hurry, Mr Jones forgot to collect his suitcase.
If the subordinate clause is at the beginning of the sentence, we use a comma to separate the clauses - like in that sentence!
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