19.

The Complex Sentence

1. Miss Casement stopped what she was doing and stared at Rainsborough. – the subordinate
clause is “what she was doing” and it is an object clause. (mixed sentence with a coordinator
“and”)
2. What you saw tonight was an ending. – “what you saw tonight” is the subordinate clause and it
is a subject clause.
3. About what was to come she reflected not at all. – The subordinate clause is “about what was to
come” and it is an object clause. Here what is distinctive is that the object clause is at the head
of the sentence where we don't typically find the object and it may be confusing. So the normal
word order would be: She reflected not at all about what was to come.
4. It’s odd how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family. – the subordinate
clause is “how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family” and it is a subject
clause in extraposition. We have the anticipatory it which is just the grammatical subject of the
sentence it and this is extraposition of the subject.
5. The trouble with you, Martin, is that you are always looking for a master. – the subordinate
clause is “that you are always looking for a master” and it is connected with the main clause by
the conjunction “that” and this is a predicative clause.
6. Suddenly realizing what had happened, she sprang to her feet. – the subordinate clause is “what
had happened” and it is an object clause.
7. “It looks as though spring will never come,” she remarked. – the subordinate clause is “as
though spring will never come” and it is a predicative clause.
8. I want you to sit here beside me and listen to what I have to say. – the subordinate clause is
“what I have to say” and it is an object clause.
9. Who and what he was, Martin never learned. – an object clause. Normal sentence: Martin never
learned who and what he was.
10. That I am hungry and you are aware of it are only ordinary phenomena, and there is no disgrace.
– the subordinate clause is “that I am hungry” and it is an subject/object clause?
11. What we would do next he did not know. – the subordinate clause is “what we would do next”
and it is an object clause, the object is in front. Normal sentence: He did not know what he
would do next.
12. What I want is to be paid for what I do - subject clause(“what I want”) and an object
clause(“what I do” - an object clause may be joined to the main clause by the prepositions after,
about, before, for, of, beyond, etc.)
13. I cannot help thinking there is something wrong about that closet. – object clause asyndetically
linked
14. And what is puzzling me is why they want me now. - a complex sentence with both a subject and
a predicative clause. The subject clause is “what is puzzling me” and the predicative clause is
“why they want me now”.
15. [(That) was (what I came to find out.)] – we have two subordinate clauses “that” which is a
subject clause and the other subordinate clause is “what I came to find out” which is a
predicative clause.
16. What I want to know is when you are going to get married. - a complex sentence with both a
subject and a predicative clause. The subject clause is: “what I want to know” and the
predicative clause is “when you are going to get married”.
17. Her fear was lest they should stay for tea. – the subordinate clause is “lest they should stay for
tea” and it is a predicative clause(because of the linking verb).
18. That they were justified in this she could not but admit. – the subordinate clause is “that they
were justified in this” and this is an object clause. Normal order of sentence: She could not but
admit that they were justified in this.
19. What was certain was that I could not sleep again. – there are two subordinate clauses in the
the sentence “what was certain” which is a subject clause and “that I could not sleep again”
which is a predicative clause.
20. What vast wound that catastrophe had perhaps made in Georgie’s proud and upright spirit I did
not know. – an object clause
21. After several weeks what he had been waiting for happened. – subject clause (What he had
been waiting for happened after several week.)
22. And let me say to you in the profoundest and most faithful seriousness that what you saw
tonight will have no sequel. – an object clause
23. [I understand all that], but [(what I want to know) is (whether or not you have lost faith in me.)]
– there are two subordinate clauses “what I want to know” which is a subject clause and
“whether or not you have lost faith in me” which is a predicative clause.
24. He could recall with startling clarity what previously had been dim and evasive recollections of
childhood incidents, early schooling and young manhood. – an object clause
25. It’s been my experience that as a rule the personality of a human being presents as much of a
complexity as the medical history of a chronic invalid. – extraposition of the subject clause
26. He had taken no part in the war, and he felt sure that he could only rejoice in its conclusion. –
predicative clause
27. It was noticeable to all that even his usual sullen smile had disappeared. – a subject clause
28. That I had no business, with two women on my hands already, to go falling in love with a third
troubled me comparatively little. – a subject clause
29. Believe me, believe us, it is what is best for you. – the subordinate clause is “what is best for
you” and it is a predicative clause.
30. What is done cannot be undone. – the subordinate clause is “what is done” and it is a subject
clause.