"The compound-complex sentence

  "The compound-complex sentence is so named because it shares the characteristics of both compound and complex sentences. Like the compound sentence, the compound-complex has two main clauses. Like the complex sentence, it has at least one subordinate clause. The subordinate clause can be part of an independent clause."
(Random House Webster's Pocket Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation, 2007)


 

  "The door of the morning room was open as I went through the hall, and I caught a glimpse of Uncle Tom messing about with his collection of old silver."
(P.G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters, 1938)


 

  "All of us are egotists to some extent, but most of us--unlike the jerk--are perfectly and horribly aware of it when we make asses of ourselves."
(Sidney J. Harris, "A Jerk," 1961)


 

  "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them . . . well, I have others."
(Groucho Marx)


 

  "The Druids used mistletoe in ceremonies of human sacrifice, but most of all the evergreen became a symbol of fertility because it flourished in winter when other plants withered."
(Sian Ellis, "England's Ancient 'Special Twig.'" British Heritage, January 2001)


 

  "For in the end, freedom is a personal and lonely battle; and one faces down fears of today so that those of tomorrow might be engaged."
(Alice Walker, In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens, 1983)


 

  "We operate under a jury system in this country, and as much as we complain about it, we have to admit that we know of no better system, except possibly flipping a coin."
(Dave Barry, Dave Barry's Guide to Marriage And/or Sex, 1987)

The Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence is made up of a compound sentence and a complex sentence. I would say these guys are properly named, wouldn't you?

• The compound part of the equation means that the sentence has two (or more) independent clauses.
• The complex part of the equation means that the sentence has at least one subordinate clause.

If you need a refresher on compound sentences or complex sentences, click on the links and check them out.

Let's analyze an example sentence and see if it has what it takes!

I would have purchased the cheese that you like,

but it was too expensive.

I would have purchased the cheese = independent clause

that you like = dependent adjective clause modifying cheese

it was too expensive = independent clause

It works! This sentence has what it takes to be compound-complex. Let's look at some more examples.

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Compound-Complex Sentence That
Includes A Dependent Adjective Clause

I would have purchased the cheese that you like,

but it was too expensive.

You're already a pro at this sentence because we checked it out at the top of the page, but I want to show you how to diagram it.

If you're new to sentence diagramming, the following picture is probably going to look overwhelming and scary. Try not to bite your fingernails as you look at it.

Sentence diagrams can help you understand sentence structure, and if you learn with either of my beginner step-by-step programs, you'll be a pro with this kind of diagram.

That you like is a dependent adjective clause modifying the the direct object of the independent clause (cheese).

Here's a similar sentence diagram that shows you the basic parts of that sentence.

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Compound-Complex Sentence That
Includes A Dependent Noun Clause

Rachael Ray explained how cookies are made,

and we practiced her techniques at home.

Dependent noun clauses are kind of complicated. Because they function as nouns and can do any of the noun jobs, they are often an integral part of independent clauses.

That's the case with this example. The dependent noun clause is the direct object of the verb explained.

Rachael Ray explained (how cookies are made) = independent clause

how cookies are made = dependent noun clause

we practiced her techniques at home = independent clause

Here's a similar sentence diagram that shows you the basic parts of that sentence. 

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Compound-Complex Sentence That
Includes A Dependent Adverb Clause

We had a party because we had lots of cookies,

and our guests ate the yummy treats.

We had a party = independent clause

because we had lots of cookies = dependent adverb clause modifying had

our guests ate the yummy treats = independent clause

Here's a similar sentence diagram that shows you the basic parts of that sentence.