Overview
Combine multiple clauses and phrases to produce complex, varied sentence structures.
Building Complex Sentences
- Compound-complexMain + main + subordinate: She led the project, delivered results, despite the setbacks.
- Embedded clauseClause as noun: The claim that the data was falsified was dismissed.
- Wh-cleftWhat-clause for focus: What the report reveals is a structural imbalance.
- ParticipialHaving + pp for sequence: Having reviewed the data, we concluded…
C1 Academic Patterns
- The fact that…: nominalised clause as sentence subject — formal register
- What…is/was: wh-cleft for emphasis — What concerns us most is accountability.
- Having + pp: participial opening — sequence and concision in academic prose
- Stacking: conditional + relative + concessive in a single, controlled sentence
Common C1 Mistakes
- ❌ The fact that he was late it caused problems → ✅ The fact that he was late caused problems (no pronoun echo)
- ❌ What the data shows it is a decline → ✅ What the data shows is a decline
- ❌ Dangling participle: Having reviewed it, the report confused us. → ✅ Having reviewed it, we found the report confusing.
- ❌ Run-ons: chaining clauses with 'and' instead of subordination
When to use
Academic essays
The fact that demand has stagnated, despite rising investment, challenges the prevailing model.
Legal writing
Having examined all submissions, the committee found that the appeal lacked merit.
Business analysis
What the data shows, if interpreted correctly, is a structural rather than cyclical decline.
Journalism
The reforms, which had been widely anticipated, were met with mixed responses.