A complex sentence is one that has an independent sentence, or a sentence that makes sense on its own, and a dependent sentence, which makes sense when it’s written alongside the independent sentence. Dependent clauses need a subordinate conjunction that introduces them (because, if, even, when, after, that, while, so, though, etc.). This all might seem weird, so here’s an example.
I went for a run even though I was hungry.
The first part is the independent clause because it doesn’t need the rest of the sentence. You can easily write “I went for a run” without explaining anything else. The second part is the dependent clause, and when we read it on its own, it’s a bit awkward because “even though I was hungry” needs some additional information.
Don’t Confuse Them with Compound Sentences
You might have also heard about compound sentences, and these are sentences that have two independent clauses separated by: a comma and a coordinating conjunction, a colon, a semicolon, or a semicolon and a transition. This is an example:
Compound sentence: I went for a run, and I saw a few birds outside of my house.
This is an example of the first way to write a compound sentence, and both clauses make sense even when we read them separately.
Why are the Necessary?
Complex sentences add depth and details to your writing. Sentences that are made up of only one clause are perfectly fine. You can absolutely write just with them. They also become very annoying to write. Okay, so these last three sentences were technically fine, but it became awkward and tedious to read them after a while. Complex sentences are necessary because when you read, you’re also reading the tone of the sentences. Moreover, we argue in favor of using a complex sentence generator because we might know our writing is a bit flat, but we also might not know how to fix this.
Using a Complex Sentence Generator
Sentences don’t just emerge out of nowhere, and complex sentences need a goal and a reason for existing. Here’s where a generator comes in. This adds new clauses to your sentence, giving you complexity and an appealing tone. When you’re using a complex sentence generator like Litero, you need to have a basic point. Let’s say this point is how curtains are better than blinds:
Curtains are better than blinds because they are flexible and more user-friendly.
Again, this is a correct and normal sentence, but we know we can do better than this. Remember that a complex sentence has a dependent and an independent clause, so we can move things around in this example:
Because of their flexibility and user-friendliness, curtains are the better option for homeowners in comparison to blinds.
We got this sentence by asking Litero’s AI tool to expand on this sentence. The content is basically the same, but adding dependent variables gives depth to our point and makes it easier to read.
The generator allows you to play with the sentences, and after you have a topic or idea, you can ask the complex sentence generator to add context or introduce the idea. If the dependent clause goes before the independent clause, it usually has a comma separating them; if it’s vice versa, then there’s no comma.
Here are a few tips to help you work with a generator:
- If you want to add a dependent clause before, you can select the text you want and write a custom command like “write an introduction” or “write a dependent clause.”
- If you want to add a dependent clause after a text, you can ask Litero to expand or rephrase the idea.
- Try to start with a basic topic or point, like best pizza toppings, and ask the generator to give you options. You can incorporate these options into your existing sentence depending on what you need.
What About Citations?
No type of sentence is exempt from having citations, but we know that the different components of a complex sentence can make it confusing to know where citations go. In APA, if you’re mentioning a source within the sentence itself, the citation goes wherever you’re referencing it. For example,
Smith (2020) states…
Oranges are the ideal fruit, according to Smith (2020).
Considering their benefits and resilience, oranges are the ideal fruit (Smith, 2020).
In MLA, you mention the author in the sentence and add the page number (if applicable) at the end:
Oranges are the ideal fruit, according to Smith (95).
Considering their benefits and resilience, oranges are the ideal fruit (Smith 95).
However, adding the correct citations as you go can be tedious and make you forget the idea you had. We recommend using Litero’s citation tool because it lets you insert a placeholder that tells you where a citation should be while allowing you to come back to it when editing.
Types of Complex Sentences
A complex sentence generator probably won’t give you the option of choosing what type of complex sentence you want. If you’re using Litero, the automatic AI suggestions will provide text but won’t focus on types of sentences. However, we’re going to briefly explain the types of complex sentences there are and how you can use a complex sentence generator.
Nominal Clauses
These clauses can become the subject of your main sentence, like this:
The movie I watched last week reminded me of school.
Here, “The movie I watched last week” is a dependent clause, but it’s also the subject of the whole sentence.
Adverbial Clauses
Here, the dependent clause modifies the verb in the independent clause in some way, and a good way of looking at them is to think about these dependent clauses as adding more information:
I ate lunch as I read a book.
“I ate lunch” is the independent clause, while “as I read a book” is the adverbial clause.
Adjectival Clause
Finally, we have adjectival clauses that affect the noun in the independent clause:
The meals I saw in the cafeteria were very healthy.
The clause “The meals I saw in the cafeteria” is the independent clause, while “are very healthy” is the dependent clause.
Bottom Line
Complex sentences help you create better, more dynamic writing that ensures depth and variances, and using a complex sentence generator can be a powerful tool when you realize that your writing falls a bit flat. Like many things, practice makes perfect, or at least you become more comfortable with writing. A complex sentence generator can help you learn all the ways you can express an idea, giving you freedom and confidence.