UNIT 5

SENTENCE WRITING:
THE COMPLEX SENTENCE (I)

Objectives:
By the end of the unit, you are expected to be able to:
1. write different complex sentences with noun clauses;
2. write different complex sentences with adjective clauses.

A. Complex Sentences with Noun Clauses

A sentence that contains just one clause is called a simple sentence. A sentence that
contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses is called a
complex sentence. (Dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses.)
There are three kinds of dependent clauses: adverb, adjective, and noun. A noun
clause is a dependent clause that functions as a noun and begins with a wh-question
word, that, whether, or sometimes if. A dependent noun clause can be either a subject,
an object or a complement.

Examples:

1. A noun clause as a subject.

That air is pulled into the body via the lungs is incorrect.

2. A noun clause can be an object of a verb:

Many people incorrectly believe that air is pulled into the body via the
lungs.

3. A noun clause can be a subject complement:

The diaphragm is what moves the air into the body.

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B. The subordinators in noun clauses are called noun clause markers. Here is a
list of the noun clause markers:

that if, whether

Wh-words: how, what, when, where, which, who, whom, whose, why
Wh-ever words: however, whatever, whenever, wherever, whichever,
whoever, whomever

C. Two independent clauses can be combined by changing one to a noun

clause.

To change a statement to a noun clause use that:

Example:

- I know.
- The heart beats 60 to 80 times a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I know (that) the heart beats 60 to 80 times a minute, 24 hours a day, 7

days a week.

To change a yes/ no question to a noun clause, use if or whether:

Example:

- They wonder.
- Does digestion begin when people place food in their mouth?

They wonder whether digestion begins when people place food in their
mouth.
 To change a wh-question to a noun clause, use the wh-word:

Example:

- The students question.

- When does digestion begin?

The students question when digestion begins.

Exercise 1
Complete the sentences by changing the questions to noun clauses.

Example:
What is environmental science? The students want to know what
environmental science is.

1. What is hazardous waste? The farmers ask the presenter _____________

_______________________________________________________________

2. Is restoration a good strategy for protecting nature? The villagers ask

_______________________________________________________________

3. How can we evaluate our ecological impacts? The officials want to know
_________________________________________________________

4. Are proteins composed of amino acids? My classmate asks some people

________________________________________________________

5. When will your research be carried out? The professor wants to find out
___________________________________________________________

6. What is your research about? The advisor asks me __________________

_______________________________________________________________
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 7. Why is iodine added to salt? We are wondering ____________________

_______________________________________________________________

8. Does the cerebellum give us coordination? I don’t know _____________

_______________________________________________________________

9. What is a cell made up? The assistant lecturer asks some students _____

_______________________________________________________________

10. Where is the location of our heart? That elementary school student knows
________________________________________________________

Exercise 2
Complete each dependent noun clause into a complete sentence by adding a subject, a verb, and
other words that are needed to create an independent clause.

Example :
_________________________________ that agriculture has “significant present and
future environmental benefits.”

The task force agreed that agriculture has significant “present and future
environmental benefits”.

1. __________________________________________ that Salmon in the Pacific

Northwest need clear streams to breed.

2. Research shows_________________________________________________

3. Biologists report _______________________________________________

4. My largest research was _________________________________________

5. _____________________________________ whether the cell membrane is the

security guard of the cell, then the nucleus is the boss.

6. That cells are the building blocks of life ____________________________

7. Historical records show__________________________________________

 8. __________________________________ why irrigation can be extremely
inefficient.

9. ____________________________________ who has the responsibility for

irrigation in this area.

10. Many resource analysts argue ____________________________________

B. Complex Sentences with Adjective Clauses

Adjective clauses perform the same function in sentences that adjectives do;
they modify nouns.

Example :
- Nerves are like tiny wires.
- Tiny wires run through your body.
Nerves are like tiny wires that run through your body.

(That run through your body is an adjective clause that modifies tiny wires. It
is a clause because it has a subject (that) and a predicate (run); it is an
adjective clause because it modifies a noun).

The patterns of Relative Pronoun are formed as follows:

Person Things Place Time

Subject who/that which/that

Object who(m)/that which/that

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 Possessive whose __ of which
or
whose

Others where when

Examples:
1. Person (Subject)

Much of the bison’s destruction was carried out by the U.S. Army to deprive native
peoples who/that depended on bison for food, clothing, and shelter of these
resources.

2. Person (Object)

The scientists whom/that we met introduced a new method.

3. Things (Subject)

The endocrine system consists of the hormones in your body and the glands
that/which produce them.

4. Things (Object)

The ecosystems that/which mountain gorillas or Indian tigers formerly inhabited

have largely disappeared.

5. Possessive

Conservationists claim the owl is an umbrella species whose protection would aid
many other organisms and resources.

The man whose speech has inspired us is our former director.

6. Place

Invasive species are organisms that thrive in new territory where they are free of
predators, diseases, or resource limitations.

7. Time

The day when we attended our graduation was still in my mind.

C. Identifying vs Non-identifying Clauses

An Identifying Clause A Non-identifying Clause

No commas are used to set off a Commas are used to set off a
clause that provides information modifying clause that provides
that helps identify the noun. additional information about a
noun that is already clearly
identified.
1. The man who/that creates 1. The bio-scientist, who
green energy will make a creates green energy, will
profit. make a profit.
2. The household that/which 2. The "green" household,
reduces waste will save which reduces waste, will
energy. save energy.
NOTE: Who or that can be used NOTE: Who or which can be
in the first sentence, not which. used, not that.

Exercise 3
Identify whether the underlined clause is a noun clause or an adjective clause.

Example :

Indonesia claims ownership of nearly three-quarters of its forest lands and all waters
and offshore fishing rights, ignoring the interests of indigenous people who have
lived in these areas for millennia. (adjective clause)

1. Adult barnacles build hard shells that protect them from fish.

2. Some ecologists counter that they can control stability.

3. More than 99 percent of all species that ever existed are now extinct.

4. The result of one experiment may give us information that leads to further
experiments.

5. Scientists believe that milfoil (an exotic aquatic plant) arrived in North America
during the late 19th century.
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 6. Canadian biologists estimate that only 10 percent of the top predators remain
in the Atlantic Ocean.

7. A predator in an ecological sense is an organism that feeds directly upon

another living organism.

8. Einstein’s calculations predicted that photons of light should be affected by

gravity.

9. A keystone species is a species whose feeding activity has an influence on its

community.

10. It is possible to see that religion does not necessarily have to be involved with
shrines, temples, churches, or synagogues.

11. This presentation must include a discussion of what worked and what did not
work.

12. She knew nothing of the background of the young people of different races
whom she faced every day.

13. The intern program provides a large number of additional individuals who
would otherwise end up with other companies.

14. For the first time I didn’t think about how it would sound to anyone else.

15. Opponents rightly argue that legitimate research sites are being blocked by
excessive and harmful filters.

Exercise 4
Combine the following pair of sentences by using an adjective clause.
Example: Mr. Smith teaches us history. His house is not far from our school.
Mr. Smith whose house is not far from our school teaches us history.

1. Libraries should present materials. These represent many points of view on current
and historical issues.

2. The data are reliable. We collected them during our field trip to Banten.

3. He wrote a composition for unaccompanied cello. He poured his feelings of

outrage, love, and brotherhood into it.
4. At the new student orientation, a group of returning students showed us around.
They gave us advice about college life.

5. We will never forget the date. We celebrated our first meeting on that date.

6. The reference librarian gave me a list of five criteria for evaluating websites. This
helped me select the best sites for my research.

7. The style remains popular across the globe, especially in Asia. There designers look
to the past to create opulent, decorated spaces.

8. Her interest in the subject was sparked by a letter from an old friend. He told her
about the damage caused by aerial spraying.

9. You should answer the questions. Their choices can be found in the list below.

10. Those ancient maps in the art museum are phenomenal. One of them was even
drawn so accurately with so little technology.

Exercise 5
Add an adjective clause to each of the following sentences.

Example :

Facebook is a social networking website ___________________

Facebook is a social networking website that is operated and privately

owned by Facebook, Inc.

1. Police can use fingerprints _______________________________________

2. A professor is a person __________________________________________

3. Tsunami ____________________________________________ has caused a lot of
damage.

4. Greenhouse is a glass building____________________________________

5. Chloroplast is a part of plant cell _________________________________

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