Question

Identify which of these is a complex sentence:

• A. Sarah is better at Physics than I am.
• B. Ganesh took the keys and went for a midnight drive.
• C. It is raining cats and dogs today.
• D. Mother has baked us some chocolate chip cookies.

Answer 1

The correct option is A Sarah is better at Physics than I am.

A complex sentence is made up of two or more clauses, where at least one of them should be independent, i.e., complete in meaning. The other clause(s) should be dependent; it should depend on the main/independent clause for its complete meaning. In option A, one clause "than I am" is dependent on the main clause "Sarah is better at Physics" for its full meaning. Hence A is a complex sentence. In B, the sentence is compound, as both the clauses are independent, "Ganesh took the keys" and "(Ganesh) went for a midnight drive". They are connected by the coordinating conjunction "and". Hence B is incorrect. Option C is a simple sentence, it contains one clause, hence it's the incorrect option. Option D is also a simple sentence, with one clause in it, hence D is also incorrect.