Complex sentences
- Russian and English have three types of sentences: simple, compound
and complex.
- A simple sentence is made up of a subject and a
predicate:
subject | predicate |
Наташа | работает в институте. |
Они | слушают музыку. |
- A compound sentence is made
up of two simple sentences joined by a conjunction:
Мы слушаем радио и читаем газету. We are listening to the radio and reading a newspaper.
Я работаю в Москве, а он работает в Киеве. I work in Moscow, and he works in in Kiev.
- A compound sentence can easily be split into two simple
sentences, because each simple sentence in a compound sentence
expresses a complete thought.
- A complex sentence combines a
simple sentence, or independent clause, with a subordinate
(dependent) clause using a relative pronoun or an interrogative
word, like кто, что, где, чей, как, почему, as a conjunction.
complex sentence |
main clause | conj. | subordinate clause |
Я не знаю, |
кто |
живёт здесь. |
Пётр не знает, |
где |
его машина. |
Сергей знает, |
чья |
это квартира. |
Ты не знаешь, |
почему |
они здесь? |
Они спрашивают, |
как |
мы говорим по-немецки. |
Они спрашивают, |
когда |
мы поедем в деревню. |
- The main clause of a complex sentence can stand alone. It
expresses a complete thought and is the essential part of the
sentence.
The subordinate clause is dependent on the main clause because it
cannot stand alone as a complete thought.
- When the subordinate clause is first in the sentence, it is
pronounced with intonational construction 3 (IC-3), and the main
clause is pronounced with IC-1.