如何破解英语长难句How to analyze complex sentences课件 2023届高考英语二轮复习

How to analyze complex sentence? What is a complex sentence? A complex sentence consists of one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. Example: Whenever he was asked that question, the old man who lived in that house answered that the earth was flat. Whenever he was asked that question, the old man who lived in that house answered that the earth was flat. The sentence given above consists of four clauses. To find out the number of clauses in a sentence you just need to count the number of finite verbs in that sentence. A sentence that has two finite verbs has two clauses. In the same way, a sentence that has four finite verbs has four clauses. Verbs can be finite or non-finite. Infinitives, participles and gerunds are non-finites. All other verbs are finites. Whenever he was asked that question, the old man who lived in that house answered that the earth was flat. So, in the example given above the finite verbs are: was asked, lived, answered and was. Analysis of the complex sentence Whenever he was asked that question, the old man who lived in that house answered that the earth was flat. 1. The old man answered. (Main clause) 2. Whenever he was asked that question (adverb clause of time modifying the verb ‘answered’.) 3. Who lived in that house (adjective clause modifying the noun ‘man’.) 4. That the earth was flat (noun clause which acts as the object of the main verb ‘answered’.) Note that an adverb clause of time says when something happens. An adverb clause of place says where something happens. Adverbs usually express ideas such as time, place, manner, frequency etc. A noun clause usually acts as the subject or object of the verb in another clause. In the example given above, the noun clause is the object of the verb in the main clause. Sometimes a subordinate clause has another subordinate clause within it. Now let’s analyze other sentences. I think that he pocketed the mobile phone which was lying on the table. （ 2022全国乙卷C篇）With their ability to