A compound-complex sentence has two or more coordinating clauses and at least one subordinate clause.

Read the following sentence:

Macaulay had great wealth and fame, and yet he tells us in his biography that he owed the happiest hours of his life to books.

The sentence given above has three clauses.

a) Macaulay had great wealth and fame. (Principal clause)

b) and yet he tells us in his biography (Principal clause coordinate with a)

c) that he owed the happiest hours of his life to books. (Subordinate noun clause acting as the object of the verb tells.)

An analysis of another compound-complex sentence is given below.

A gentleman never speaks of himself except when compelled, never defends himself by a mere retort, is scrupulous in imputing motives to those who interfere with him and interprets everything for the best.

A. A gentleman never speaks of himself (Principal clause)

B. Except when compelled (Subordinate adverb clause of time qualifying ‘never speaks’ in A.)

C. Never defends himself by a mere retort (Principal clause coordinate with A)

D. Is scrupupous in imputing motives to those (Principal clause coordinate with A)

E. Who interfere with him (Subordinate adjective clause qualifying those in D)

E. And interprets everything for the best (Principal clause coordinate with A)