“Why are you tired?”
The words you are given
- was approaching
- because
- worked
- quickly
- overtime
- and
- I
- the deadline
The order that works
I worked overtime because the deadline was approaching quickly.
Build a Sentence
Complex sentence with "because"
"Because" introduces a reason clause explaining why the main clause happened. It can come before or after the main clause.
6 worked examplesCompound Complex
The pattern
Main clause + BECAUSE + reason: She left BECAUSE she was tired.
Worked examples
6 shown
Word order shown is Reach120’s reading of standard English usage for this sentence. ETS does not publish a correct/incorrect judgement for individual items, and this is not an official score.
“What happened to the flight?”
The words you are given
- traffic
- severe weather
- was delayed
- The plane
- disrupted
- because
- and
- air
The order that works
The plane was delayed because severe weather disrupted air traffic.
“Why was she late?”
The words you are given
- missed
- on this
- and
- She
- since
- the bus
- particular morning
- she overslept
The order that works
She missed the bus since she overslept on this particular morning.
“Why did the experiment succeed?”
The words you are given
- and
- indicated
- their methodology
- design flaws
- initial results
- because
- The researchers refined
- several fundamental
The order that works
The researchers refined their methodology because initial results indicated several fundamental design flaws.
“Why did policies change?”
The words you are given
- and
- graduates
- practical technical skills
- with stronger
- because
- The university updated
- employers demanded
- its curriculum
The order that works
The university updated its curriculum because employers demanded graduates with stronger practical technical skills.
“Why was the factory relocated?”
The words you are given
- manufacturer moved
- because domestic
- domestic
- The
- operating costs
- increasingly prohibitive
- production overseas
- had become
The order that works
The manufacturer moved production overseas because domestic operating costs had become increasingly prohibitive.
Practice this pattern against the clock.
More compound complex patterns
Build a Sentence
Compound sentence with "and"
OpenComplex sentence with "although/while"
OpenCompound sentence with "but"
Open