A complex sentence is a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. According to this website: http://www.englishgrammar101.com/ a dependent clause can be a noun clause in a complex sentence. But why do all of the examples look like two dependent clauses? When you identify the noun clause, you're left with another dependent clause. Can someone help me understand? Here's another link with examples: http://www.englishgrammar101.com/Lessons
Update:My apologies. I didn't realize the link wasn't working. Also, to be clear, I understand what a noun clause is and how to identify one. That's not the problem. Here is an example:
"What Americans have done to native Americans should be known by all Americans."
Now, the site says that dependent clauses can be used as adjectives, adverbs, and nouns in complex sentences. What I don't understand is how the above example is a complex sentence. I see two dependent clauses or one independent clause, but not both. Am I being confusing?
Answers & Comments
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You might be thinking the independent clause looks dependent without the noun clause because leaving out the noun clause makes the sentence lack a subject or direct object. If you had added an example to your question, I could have addressed it specifically. I'll give you a couple of noun clauses in sentences.
That it snows in Alaska is a fact. Noun clause=subject
They want to know how noun clauses work. Noun clause=direct object
The policeman couldn't tell me if the bus had come by yet. Noun clause=direct object
These are very simple--yet complex--sentences. If you remove the noun clauses, they still seem incomplete because they lack nouns. Is this what you mean by they look like dependent clauses?
Hey Vinz--checking back with ya. So you have a noun clause as a subject. Without the subject (noun clause) your sentence is a fragment, not a simple sentence. Maybe try this: Divide it into "XX should be known to all Americans." I hope that seems like an independent clause to you because it is. We could say instead, "That fact should be known to all Americans." But instead, we use a noun clause--dependent clause-- to explain "that fact."
So the sentence is indeed one independent and one dependent clause, which serves as a component (subject) of the independent clause. Again, without the dependent clause you have just a fragment, not a dependent clause.
I doubt there will be a grandfather clause for this one. More and more places become smoke free every day. One would think that you would be safe to smoke in your own home, but if that home is in an apartment complex they have a right to make it smoke free. If your only 47 you might consider finding a private landlord that will allow smoking, many of them don't or buy your own home.
Www.englishgrammar101.com
Dear Vinz:
Please include a couple of examples in your question. The english grammar website is quite complicated and needs us to log in.
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