Question 56

After discovering that the football was flat, Andy decided to play tennis.

A complex sentence contains an independent clause and at least one dependent clause, which is exemplified in this case. The sentence demonstrates this structure with "After discovering that the football was flat" serving as the dependent clause, while "Andy decided to play tennis" acts as the independent clause.

A) The hawk swooped down to catch its prey.

This sentence is a simple sentence as it contains only one independent clause with no dependent clauses attached. It lacks the complexity required to be classified as a complex sentence.

B) Everyone agreed that the wedding was beautiful.

While this sentence includes a noun clause ("that the wedding was beautiful"), it is still classified as a complex sentence. However, it does not fulfill the requirement as clearly as option D, which has a more distinct dependent clause.

C) Samantha came to the party but she didn't stay long.

This sentence is a compound sentence because it consists of two independent clauses joined by the conjunction "but." It does not contain any dependent clauses, which disqualifies it from being classified as a complex sentence.

D) After discovering that the football was flat, Andy decided to play tennis.

This option is a complex sentence, as it includes a dependent clause ("After discovering that the football was flat") and an independent clause ("Andy decided to play tennis"). This structure is what defines a complex sentence.

Conclusion

Option D is the only choice that meets the criteria of a complex sentence, featuring both an independent and a dependent clause. The other options either fail to include a dependent clause, or do not exhibit the necessary complexity. Thus, option D is definitively the correct identification of a complex sentence.