Transformation of Sentences - Simple Sentence to Complex Sentence

Do you feel that Transformation of Sentences is a but difficult chapter?

Transformation of Sentences is a crucial chapter for exams. You may think it is the most difficult topic to understand. But...

No, it’s mind block, it’s no difficult.

You just be ready with pen and paper. Read carefully and make notes.

First, note some general rules before you jump into the basic transformation rules.

3 General rules: 

(I) Both the simple and complex sentence are of same tense.

(II) Both have the same tone (affirmative/negative).

(III) Both have more than one verb. The simple has only one finite verb with many non-finite verbs.

To transform it into a complex sentence, you only have to make all the non-finite verbs finite.

Now note some basic rules to transform a simple sentence into a complex one. 

You know, actually there is no such fixed rule for transformation of simple into complex sentences. Only examples can help you learn this topic. 

Simple Sentence into Complex Sentence –

When you are asked to transform a simple sentence into other, you’ll see that there are at least two verbs in the simple, of which, only one is a finite verb (main verb) and the other is a non-finite one.

1st: To turn a simple sentence into complex, all you have to do is, keep the finite verb as it is and expand the non-finite. After expanding the non-finite, you’ll automatically get another finite verb.

2nd: Remember, you must put at least two finite verbs in the complex sentence.

3rd: A simple sentence is transformed into a complex by expanding words or phrases to make it a subordinate clause. This subordinate clause may be a noun clause or an adjective clause or an adverb clause.

How will you expand a phrase?

Let’s see how –

Word / Phrase	Expand to Subordinate clause (Noun clause)
His name.	What his name is.
To go.	That I/you/he/she should go.
Truth	What is true.
To win	That I/we/he/she would win.
My thoughts.	What I think.

Etc.

Now we'll be discussing Transformation of a Simple Sentence into Complex Sentence using 3 subordinate clauses – A. Noun Clause, B. Adjective Clause and C. Adverb Clause. 

A. Using a Noun Clause –

In this case you have to expand a word/phrase to make a noun clause.

As,

Simple – She tells us her name. 

Here, you can expand the phrase “her name” to a subordinate clause, as, “What her name is”.

Then Complex will be – She told us what her name is.

It's easy. Isn't it?

Now the question is, is the sentence "She told us what her name is" really a complex sentence?  

Yes. This sentence is a complex sentence. Because it has two clauses with two finite verbs - 'told' and 'is'. We know that if a sentence has multiple finite verbs, that is usually a complex sentence. 

Is it clear?

Okay. 

Some more examples:

Simple – She can’t remember the name of this place.

Complex – She can’t remember what the name of the place is.

Simple – Don’t ask me about his occupation. 

Complex – Don’t ask me about what his occupation is. / Don’t ask me about what he does.

Simple – Do you know her college?

Complex – Do you know what her college is?

 Type 2: 

Simple – The show starts at 7 p.m.

Complex – It is 7 p.m. when the show starts.

Simple – The train departed at 11 o’clock.

Complex – The train departed when it was 11 o’clock.

 Type 3: 

Simple – I wish to see her. 

Here 'to see' can be expanded to a noun clause and that will be - that I should/would.

Complex – I wish that I would see her.

Simple – She desires to leave.

Complex – She desires that she should leave.

 Type 4: 

In case there is an adverb ending in '-ly'. Like, unexpectedly, certainly etc.

Simple – Undoubtedly, Jack has prompted them.

How will you transform it?

By expanding the adverb ‘Undoubtedly’ to an noun clause.

Like, “It is undoubted + that...”

So, the complex sentence will be –

It is undoubted that Jack has prompted them.

Another examples:

Simple – Unexpectedly, England won the World Cup.

Again turn 'Unexpectedly' into a noun clause - "it is unexpected".

Complex – It is unexpected that England won the World Cup.

More examples:

Simple – He will certainly pass.

Complex – It is certain that he will pass.

Simple – Unfortunately he failed.

Complex – It was unfortunate that he failed.

Simple – Undoubtedly, he is the best.

Complex – It is undoubted that he is the best.

Simple – Julie won the race surprisingly.

Complex – It was surprising that Julie won the race.

Simple – Undisputedly, the farmhouse belongs to you.

Complex – It is undisputed that the farmhouse belongs to you.

Simple – You may not agree to my thoughts.

Complex – You may not agree to what I think.

Simple – I don’t know the reason of his anger.

Complex – I don’t know why he is angry.

Simple – You all have heard of his death.

Complex – You all have heard that he is dead.

Simple – I hope to come back before 10.

Complex – I hope that I shall come back before 10.

Simple – I am sure of her coming to the cinema.

Complex – I am sure that she will come to the cinema.

Simple – Her silence proved her guilt.

Complex – Her silence proved that she was guilty.

Simple – I am certain of their winning the election. 

Complex – I am certain that they will win the election.

B. Using an Adjective Clause:

Here any word or phrases can be expanded into an adjective clause.

As,

Simple – Mary showed us her grandfather's glasses. 

In this case, “grandfather's glasses” can be expanded as “the glasses that her grandfather used”

Complex – Mary showed us the glasses that her grandfather used.

Did you notice that between “Mary showed” and “grandfather used” the “grandfather used” took place earlier?

As it is a past tense, the earlier occurrence should be written in past perfect tense according to tense and time’s rules.

Therefore the appropriate complex will be –

Complex – Mary showed us the glasses that her grandfather had used.

More examples of similar kind –

Simple – His father paid off his debts.

Complex – His father paid off the debts which he had contracted.

Simple – I follow my father’s principles.

Complex – I follow the principles taught by my father.

Simple – Everybody has seen his new mobile phone.

Complex – Everybody has seen his mobile phone which is new.

Simple – She recommended me a novel of Charles Dickens.

Complex – She recommended me a novel which Charles Dickens wrote.

C. Using an Adverb Clause:

Transform/expand an adverb or adverbial phrase into an adverb clause.

 Type 1: 

Simple – Unexpectedly, England won the World Cup.

How will you transform it?

Simple, by expanding the adverb ‘Unexpectedly’ to an adverb clause.

How will you expand ‘Unexpectedly’?

You can do it like, “though their victory was unexpected...”

So, the complex sentence will be –

Complex – England won the World Cup though their victory was unexpected. 

Another example:

Simple – She did that accidentally.

Complex – She did that although it was an accident. 

 Type 2: 

Simple – On hearing the news, she fainted.

The principle clause is – ‘she fainted’. And the non-finite verb is ‘hearing’. Now, you can expand the expression “On hearing the news” to make it complex. 

Right?

But, how would you expand the above mentioned part?

Just look at the simple sentence carefully. Two incidents take place there. 

First, she heard the news. And immediately after it the second incident occurs, i.e. she fainted.

So, won’t you say that “as soon as she heard the news, she fainted.”?

Yes, that is how the first part “on hearing the news” is expanded to “as soon as she heard the news”. And the simple sentence becomes a complex one.

Complex – As soon as she heard the news, she fainted.

Or, No sooner had she heard the news than she fainted.

Isn’t it that easy? 

Yes, it is.

Let’s take another example –

Simple – On reaching home, I saw the cat sleeping beside the door.

Following the same process we get –

Complex – As soon as I reached home I saw the cat sleeping beside the door.

Or, No sooner had I reached home, than I saw the cat sleeping beside the door.

Simple – On opening the door, hundreds of bats came out.

How will you make it complex?

Complex – As soon as .................. (do it yourself)

 Type 3: 

Simple – I’ll say anything.

Here the word anything can be expanded to a subordinate adverb clause as – “whatever I like/want”. The verb like/want is in present indefinite tense.

Complex – I’ll say whatever I like/want.

Simple – She’ll come here anytime.

Complex – She’ll come here whenever she likes/wants.

Simple – I’ll go anywhere.

Complex – I’ll go wherever I like/want.

 Type 4: 

Because of, due to, on account of, owing to

Simple – You were absent because of illness.

Complex – You were absent because you were ill.

Simple – They don’t like you because of your selfishness.

Complex – They don’t like you because you are selfish.

 Type 5: 

In spite of ......... though

Simple – In spite of my illness, I attended the meeting.

Complex – Though I was ill, I attended the meeting.

The simple sentence has only one verb – ‘attended’. Expanding the phrase "In spite of my illness" to "Though I was ill", we got an extra verb ‘was’. Hence it became complex with two verbs ‘was’ and ‘attended’.

Another example: 

Simple – In spite of his poverty, he is happy.

Complex – though he is poor he is happy.

 Type 6: 

Simple – Being ill, she did not come yesterday. 

Here, the phrase ‘being ill’ can be expanded. 

But how?

As + subject + be verb + adjective (ill)

Replace ‘being’ with a be verb (am/is/are/was/were).

Which be-verb will be applicable here?

In this situation, you have to consider the tense and the subject of the simple sentence. 

The tense, as the verb ‘did’ denotes, is past tense. Hence the be verb will obviously be either ‘was’ or ‘were’.

The subject is ‘she’ and it’s singular. So, between ‘was’ and ‘were’ the singular be verb ‘was’ will be the right choice.

So, expanding ‘being ill’, we get “As she was ill”.

Complex – As she was ill she did not come yesterday. 

The simple sentence has only one verb – ‘did’. Expanding the phrase ‘being ill’ we got an extra verb ‘was’. Hence it became complex with two finite verbs ‘was’ and ‘did’.

More examples:

Simple – Being tired, the soldiers began to retreat.

Complex – as the soldiers were tired, they began to retreat. 

Simple – Being the Headmistress, she has to take all the responsibilities. 

Complex – as she is the headmistress, she has to take all the responsibilities. 

 Type 6: 

'Only' .............. 'only if'

Simple – Only children are exempted.

Complex – You can be exempted only if you are a child.

Simple – Only engineers can understand this. 

Complex – You can understand only if you are an engineer.

Hope you understand everything. If you have any confusion feel free to comment below.

Thank you...