What type of sentence is formed by combining independent clauses and dependent clauses?

A compound-complex sentence is formed by combining at least two independent clauses with one or more dependent clauses. This structure allows the writer to convey more nuanced ideas and relationships between multiple thoughts. The presence of independent clauses can stand alone as complete sentences, while the dependent clauses cannot, as they add additional information but rely on the independent clauses for complete meaning.

For instance, consider the sentence: "Although it was raining, we went for a walk, and we enjoyed our time outdoors." Here, "we went for a walk" and "we enjoyed our time outdoors" are independent clauses, while "Although it was raining" is a dependent clause. This combination creates a compound-complex sentence that enhances the complexity of the ideas expressed.

A simple sentence contains only one independent clause, while a compound sentence includes two independent clauses joined by a conjunction. A complex sentence consists of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause, but it does not include multiple independent clauses, which is essential for the definition of a compound-complex sentence.