Difficulty: Easy

Average Score: 80%

The following excerpt is from the United States Department of Health and Human Services Web site, written by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Start your day off with a full tank. Eating breakfast will give you the energy you need to tackle the day. Eating regular meals (this means no skipping dinner) and taking time to enjoy them (nope, eating in the car on the way to practice doesn't count) will make you feel better too.

Which of the following is a compound-complex sentence?

Rationale

Since we like to go on roller coasters, we go all the time, but we have not been on that coaster yet.

This sentence is classified as a compound-complex sentence because it contains two independent clauses ("we go all the time" and "we have not been on that coaster yet") joined by a coordinating conjunction ("but") and one dependent clause ("Since we like to go on roller coasters"). The presence of both independent and dependent clauses is what qualifies it as compound-complex.

A (I want to go on vacation with Sally to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Florida.) YOUR ANSWER

This sentence is a simple sentence because it contains only one independent clause with no dependent clause. It expresses a single complete thought without any conjunctions linking multiple clauses.

B (Even though the sun was shining, my mother told me I could not go to the pool.) YOUR ANSWER

This sentence is a complex sentence, as it has one independent clause ("my mother told me I could not go to the pool") and one dependent clause ("Even though the sun was shining"). However, it lacks a second independent clause, which is necessary for it to be classified as compound-complex.

C (Holly needs to go to the grocery store, but she does not have enough time to go there today.) YOUR ANSWER

This sentence is a compound sentence because it includes two independent clauses ("Holly needs to go to the grocery store" and "she does not have enough time to go there today") joined by the conjunction "but." It does not contain any dependent clauses, making it not compound-complex.

Conclusion

A compound-complex sentence must have at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. The correct option, D, meets this criterion, while the other choices do not. By understanding the structure of these sentences, one can better analyze and construct complex sentence forms in writing.

Related Questions

View all