Identify the sentence.
"He commented how beautiful the girl was".
Sentence Identification: Complex Sentence Analysis
Let's break down the sentence "He commented how beautiful the girl was" to understand why it's classified as a complex sentence.
Understanding Sentence Types
Sentences can be categorized based on their structure:
- Simple Sentence: Contains only one independent clause (a complete thought with a subject and verb). Example: The dog barked.
- Compound Sentence: Contains two or more independent clauses, usually joined by a coordinating conjunction (like 'and', 'but', 'or') or a semicolon. Example: The dog barked, and the cat ran away.
- Complex Sentence: Contains one independent clause and at least one dependent (or subordinate) clause. Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as a complete thought and often start with subordinating conjunctions (like 'because', 'although', 'when', 'if', 'how') or relative pronouns. Example: The cat ran away because the dog barked.
- Compound-Complex Sentence: Contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Example: Because the dog barked, the cat ran away, and the bird flew off.
- Interrogative Sentence: Asks a question. Example: Did the dog bark?
Analyzing the Given Sentence
The sentence we are analyzing is: "He commented how beautiful the girl was".
Let's identify the clauses:
- Independent Clause: "He commented". This part has a subject (He) and a verb (commented) and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence.
- Dependent Clause: "how beautiful the girl was". This part starts with the subordinating word 'how'. While it has a subject (girl) and a verb (was), it doesn't express a complete thought on its own. It relies on the independent clause to make sense. This clause functions as the object of the verb 'commented', explaining what he commented on.
Conclusion
Since the sentence contains one independent clause ("He commented") and one dependent clause ("how beautiful the girl was"), it fits the definition of a complex sentence.
Important Questions from Grammar
Directions: In this question, a sentence has been divided into five parts (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E). Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error if any, will be in one part of the sentence. If there is no error, the answer is 'No error'. Ignore the error of punctuation if any.
Too often, picnic (A)/ preparation consists (B)/ of throwing together some sandwiches (C)/ and grabbing a apple. (D)/ No error (E)
Directions: In this question, a sentence has been divided into five parts (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E). Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error if any, will be in one part of the sentence. If there is no error, the answer is 'No error'. Ignore the error of punctuation if any.
The conference will (A)/ give us an opportunity (B)/ to exchange informations (C)/ with other researchers. (D)/ No error (E)
Directions: In this question, a sentence has been divided into five parts (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E). Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error if any, will be in one part of the sentence. If there is no error, the answer is 'No error'. Ignore the error of punctuation if any.
One of the (A)/ aim of Ethnography is (B)/ to contribute to an understanding (C)/ of the human race. (D)/ No error (E)
Directions: In this question, a sentence has been divided into five parts (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E). Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error if any, will be in one part of the sentence. If there is no error, the answer is 'No error'. Ignore the error of punctuation if any.
If you will eat (A)/ your breakfast, you (B)/ will be allowed (C)/ to watch television. (D)/ No error (E)
Direction: A sentence/part of the sentence is emboldened. Five alternatives are given to the embolden part which will improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative and choose the option corresponding to it. In case no improvement is needed, click the option corresponding to ‘No improvement required’.
No witnesses to the accident have come forward yet, despite the police's appeal.
