is the sentence:
"By using a statement that began with 'I,' Ramon was able to state his feelings clearly."
a simple sentence or a complex sentence?
It's complex. Here's why:
independent clause = "Ramon ... clearly."
dependent clause = "that began with 'I'"
The rest is a phrase, but phrases don't count when you're determining simple (1 ind. clause) or compound (2 ind clauses) or complex (1 ind. + 1 dep. clause).
To determine if a sentence is simple or complex, first, let's understand the difference between the two types:
A simple sentence consists of one independent clause, which means it has a subject, a verb, and expresses a complete thought. It doesn't contain any dependent clauses.
A complex sentence, on the other hand, consists of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and relies on the independent clause for meaning.
Now, let's analyze the sentence you provided:
"By using a statement that began with 'I,' Ramon was able to state his feelings clearly."
This sentence contains one subject ("Ramon") and two verbs ("using" and "was able to state"). The main clause, "Ramon was able to state his feelings clearly," is an independent clause because it forms a complete thought.
However, the sentence also includes a dependent clause, "By using a statement that began with 'I.'" This clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and relies on the independent clause for meaning.
Therefore, the sentence "By using a statement that began with 'I,' Ramon was able to state his feelings clearly" is a complex sentence since it includes both an independent clause and a dependent clause.