Compound-Complex Sentences

A simple sentence has a subject and a predicate. We also call these Independent Clauses.

A compound sentence combines two Independent Clauses with a comma and a FANBOYS (For And Nor But Or Yet So)

A complex sentence combines an Independent Clause with a Dependent Clause (AAAWWUBBIS) (After, Although, As, When, While, Until, Because, Before, If, Since).

First, take a breath and realize that you've done a great job with sentence structures so far!

These are tough to construct, and they take time to process! Give yourselves credit for all the work you've done so far!

Because I want this to be easy to understand, you make a compound-complex sentence by combining what you know about a compound sentence and a complex sentence, but it's all in one sentence.

The above sentence is a compound-complex sentence.

Let's break that down...

Once they were done playing in the park, Emma drove her bike home, and Winston went fishing.

This sentence combines what we know about Complex and Compound sentences.

"Once they were done playing in the park, Emma drove her bike home." This is a Complex Sentence!

"Emma drove her bike home, and Winston went fishing." This is a Compound Sentence! Just look at that comma FANBOYS!!!

It doesn't always have to look the way the last two sentences did!

Here is another example we can check out:

Stephen walked around the Mall of America, but Cathy stayed home after they ate lunch together.