Complex Sentences – Free Exercise

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Exercises

Look at the underlined sections of the sentences and decide which type of clause they are.

  1. J’aimerais t’aider mais je n’ai pas le temps.[I would like to help you, but I don’t have time.]|Two independent clauses connected by the conjunction mais. Each clause makes sense alone.
  2. Sabrina aimerait partir à la montagne alors que sa sœur préfèrerait partir à la mer.[Sabrina would like to go to the mountains whereas her sister would like to go to the coast.]|Subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction alors que. The clause alors que sa sœur préfèrerait partir à la mer does not make sense without the preceding clause.
  3. Pierre demande au professeur s’il peut lui expliquer le théorème de Pythagore.[Pierre asks the teacher if he can explain Pythagoras’ theorem to him.]|Main clause: it is followed by a subordinate clause introduced by si. This subordinate clause does not make sense without the main clause Pierre demande au professeur.
  4. Nous avons raté le bus, nous devons attendre le prochain.[We missed the bus, we have to wait for the next one.]|Independent clause: this clause can stand alone and still make sense. Two independent clauses can be linked by a comma.
  5. Bien qu’ils n’aiment pas prendre l’avion, Monsieur et Madame Tilleul ont acheté leurs billets pour aller visiter New York.[Although they don’t like flying, Mr and Mrs Tilleul have bought their tickets to visit New York.]|Subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction bien que. The clause Bien qu’ils n’aiment pas prendre l’avion does not make sense when it stands alone; it is dependent on the second clause.

Look at the underlined parts of the sentences and decide which type of clause they are.

  1. Nous devons rentrer avant que la nuit tombe.[We have to go back before it gets dark.]|Adverbial clause of time introduced by the conjunction avant que. This clause answers the question when?.
  2. Marek écoute la pluie tomber sur le toit.[Marek is listening to the rain falling on the roof.]|Infinitive clause used after a verb of perception (écouter)
  3. J’ai adoré l’histoire que tu m’as racontée![I loved the story that you told me!]|Relative clause introduced by que. This clause gives us more information about a noun in the main clause (l’histoire) without having to begin a new sentence.
  4. Les policiers auraient attrapé le voleur s’ils étaient arrivés plus tôt.[The police would have caught the thief if they had arrived earlier.]|Conditional clause introduced by si. Conditional clauses present a condition that must be fulfilled in order for the action in the main clause to take place.
  5. Les vacances scolaires ayant commencé, il y a moins de monde à Paris.[With the school holidays having started, there are fewer people in Paris.]|Participle clause with the present participle (ayant). These clauses have a different subject to the main clause and are separated from it by a comma.