So, what exactly makes a sentence compound complex? Well, it's pretty simple really - you need at least two independent clauses (i.e., clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences) and at least one dependent clause (i.e., a clause that can't stand alone). That's it! With those two ingredients, you can create some pretty interesting and complex sentences.
For example, take the sentence: "I went to the store, but I forgot my wallet, which was a real bummer." This sentence is compound complex because it contains two independent clauses ("I went to the store" and "I forgot my wallet") and one dependent clause ("which was a real bummer"). See how it all fits together?
Now, you might be thinking - what's the point of using compound complex sentences? Well, my friend, they're actually really useful for conveying nuanced ideas and complex relationships between different clauses. Plus, they can add some serious variety to your writing or speaking style.
Compound Complex Sentence Examples Compound Complex Sentence | Types