Change the following compound sentences into complex sentences.

A compound sentence contains one or more independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction. The most common coordinating conjunctions are: and, but and or. A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses. You can change a compound sentence into a complex sentence by converting all independent clauses except one into dependent clauses.

Study the example given below.

• He went there and people welcomed him with open arms.

The above sentence consists of two independent clauses – ‘he went there’ and ‘people welcomed him with open arms’.

These two independent clauses are connected by the coordinating conjunction and.

We can change this sentence into a complex sentence by converting one of these independent clauses into dependent clauses. Note that the clauses that are more likely to be converted into subordinate clauses are those that express ideas such as time, reason, condition, place or manner. Subordinate adverb clauses are usually introduced by the following conjunctions: when, where, while, as, since, because, after, before, if, unless etc.

• When he went there, people welcomed him with open arms.

The above sentence is a complex sentence. It has a main clause (people welcomed him open arms) and a subordinate adverb clause of time (when he went there).

Another example is given below.

• We finished our work and went home.

The above sentence has two independent clauses: ‘We finished our work’ and ‘We went home’.

We can change it into a complex sentence in the manner given below.

• After we finished our work, we went home. OR We went home after we finished our work.