{"id":50473,"date":"2020-04-16T01:15:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T01:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/127.0.0.1\/aee\/aee-1349-grammar-rules-complex-sentences-business\/"},"modified":"2023-04-25T15:41:51","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T15:41:51","slug":"aee-1349-grammar-rules-complex-sentences-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-1349-grammar-rules-complex-sentences-business\/","title":{"rendered":"AEE 1349: English Grammar Shouldn\u2019t Make you Tense Part 1: Are Your Sentences Too Simple?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"English<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Have you ever wondered if your sentences are too simple in English? <\/p>\n

Do you wish that you knew how to present like a native and use more complex and high-level grammar and sentences in English? <\/p>\n

In the first part of our series, we are going to look at how to wow the crowd in your business English presentations.<\/p>\n

We present this episode today with Aubrey who is the newest member of our team, and we are so happy to have her here!<\/p>\n

She\u2019ll be on AEE this spring for a series of grammar episodes<\/a>, and we start with this today.<\/p>\n

You guys have asked for more grammar episodes, so let\u2019s get started here. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Get Your Transcripts Today!<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"English<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Make sure you understand every word you hear on All Ears English.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Subscribe and get the transcripts delivered by email.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n

Using Adverb Clauses To Take Things Up A Notch<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is the start of a series we\u2019re going to do and to kick things off, we want to start with a joke for you. <\/p>\n

\u2018The past, the present and the future walked into a bar. It was tense.\u2019<\/p>\n

There\u2019s your little humor for the day talking about tenses<\/a>\u2014and today we\u2019re going to take things up a level.<\/p>\n

The goal of this episode is to help you make your sentences more interesting.<\/p>\n

Think about presentations that you give at work<\/a>, they tend to be pretty boring right?<\/p>\n

You are going to learn how to be more complex, but in a good way!<\/p>\n

This is an example of a complex sentence with an adverb clause connector, also called subordinating conjunctions. <\/p>\n

We are going to explain how to use them so you can add interest and sophistication to conversations and presentations!<\/a><\/p>\n

If you want to take your presentations and English up a level, this is a great way to start doing that.<\/p>\n

You are going to learn how to make your presentations really shine, and you are going to learn the importance of adverb clauses. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Looking At Adverb Clauses<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What are we talking about today?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to look at adverb clauses, because this is an aspect of English that will come up often. <\/p>\n

Why does this matter for our listeners? <\/p>\n

You will see adverb clauses in something like work presentations, and they will add color and interest to things. <\/p>\n

Are you speaking in a simple way that is boring your colleagues? <\/p>\n

Keeping conversations surface level? <\/p>\n

By speaking in this way, is this making you feel like you aren\u2019t included with your coworkers?<\/p>\n

You\u2019re going to learn how to change this and how to make your conversations more meaningful.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re going to learn how to make your presentations more interesting.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re going to see firsthand how just one aspect of English can make that big of a difference\u2014and then you can start using this in your everyday life!<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Using This To Speak Like Natives Do<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s natural to speak in a rather simple and basic way when you are first learning a language.<\/p>\n

As a matter of fact, we all do this when first learning a language and so you shouldn\u2019t feel bad if that\u2019s how you\u2019ve been speaking up to this point.<\/p>\n

Your natural inclination is to use simple, choppy sentences because we\u2019re so focused on remembering vocabulary and using correct verb tenses properly. <\/p>\n

However, natives don\u2019t speak this way. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s important to remember as you advance in your English learning and speaking.<\/p>\n

At your language level, you\u2019re ready to use more complicated sentences that vary your speech rhythm and make you sound native and fluent. <\/p>\n

This is a skill and one that you will feel confident in the more that you use it.<\/p>\n

Imagine you\u2019re presenting \u2013 this could be in a business meeting, at a conference, in a job interview, at a party talking to a group or just in conversation. <\/p>\n

You know it sounds boring to use just simple sentences, and you want to change that and improve this skill. <\/p>\n

Imagine yourself presenting in that situation using complex sentences and sounding much more sophisticated. <\/p>\n

The impression you give will be completely different, and you will be amazed at how this takes your skill and your confidence up exponentially. <\/p>\n

This is how you wow your listener!<\/p>\n

You are going to learn how to do that and how to take good functional sentences to an entirely different place in your conversations. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

How You Can Use Th<\/strong>is In Conversation<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s start by painting a picture of how this can work so to speak. <\/p>\n

Picture yourself giving a presentation now, but you start to add more detail to it.<\/p>\n

You take that presentation from one level of functional and slowly it starts to build up to a more advanced and truly interesting presentation. <\/a><\/p>\n

Imagine yourself presenting and sounding more sophisticated and using more complex language.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how powerful this can be and how just one aspect of English can make your presentations interesting, and have you speaking like a native. <\/p>\n

Now that you have this vision or this picture painted in your mind, let\u2019s start by defining what a complex sentence is. <\/p>\n

Complex sentences are like independent clauses that you combine together into one.<\/p>\n

Rather than having two dependent clauses stand alone, you are combining them for a more robust and interesting sentence.<\/p>\n

Dependent people don\u2019t stand alone, they want to join up with others.<\/p>\n

Independent people can stand alone and function just fine.<\/p>\n

So you are ultimately creating an independent sentence or thought when you combine simple sentences.<\/p>\n

So you might be asking yourself how this will help you to give better presentations?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to look at examples of how when you combine sentences and make them more complex it really takes things up to a whole new level. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Examples of Complex Sentences<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is an area where seeing examples may really help you.<\/p>\n

These examples can show you the difference between simple sentences and complex ones that really pop in conversation.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s compare and contrast a simple vs. a complex example so you can see firsthand how this works.<\/p>\n

Simple<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur sales numbers are low. We can improve them by shifting our focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you were to hear these sentences in a presentation, you may feel that the speaker\u2019s English level may be low. <\/p>\n

It may come off as though the speaker is unimaginative and boring in the way that they speak. <\/p>\n

Complex<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough our sales numbers are low, we can improve them by shifting our focus.\u201d <\/p>\n

This is such a simple change, but so impactful!<\/p>\n

Combining the two sentences and adding an adverb clause connector makes a huge difference. <\/p>\n

Those hearing this sentence get the impression that the speaker\u2019s language level is advanced, and that they are interesting!<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t a change that takes a lot of effort, but it really takes your presentation and speaking up to another level. <\/p>\n

It also takes your confidence up as you see that you can put together two thoughts to create a more cohesive and interesting sentence.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Making Connections<\/h3>\n

The reality is that combining two thoughts or sentences helps you to make important connections.<\/p>\n

Take a simple sentence so you can break it down such as \u201cAfter I ate, we left.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a subject and verb in each clause that can be independent. <\/p>\n

When you use the adverb clause connector\/subordinating conjunction, this is something that joins two clauses.<\/p>\n

You could use a great complex sentence in a presentation such as \u201cUnless projected figures are off, we will not meet our sales goal this quarter.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is informative, interesting, and gets people\u2019s attention which is the intention behind it. <\/p>\n

When natives speak, they use a variety of simple, compound and complex sentences. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s the key is to mix it up and use a variety of different types of sentences.<\/p>\n

You want to use interesting, sophisticated sentences every time you talk.<\/a><\/p>\n

This works well in regular conversations, as well as when making presentations at work.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Why Do We Need Complex Sentences?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So why do we need complex sentences?<\/p>\n

If you have too many simple sentences it comes off as choppy.<\/p>\n

Whereas if you use more complex sentences with adverb clauses, it adds interest and rich detail because they explain how and why things happen.<\/p>\n

They add description to the verb\/adjective in the sentence.<\/p>\n

They also help to vary the rhythm of your sentences and layers in vital information. <\/p>\n

This adds interest any time you speak, but is especially useful for presentations at work. <\/p>\n

It will engage and impress listeners, and therefore it takes your speaking up another level and builds your confidence as a speaker. <\/p>\n

Look at this simple comparison to again see what this simple change can do for you in your presentations. <\/p>\n

Simple sentences: \u201cWe are instituting a hand-washing policy. We want to avoid spreading germs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Complex: \u201cWe are instituting a hand-washing policy because we want to avoid spreading germs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simple but effective changes can greatly impact the way that you speak overall. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

How Do We Create Complex Sentences?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You are probably getting a feel for how this works now, and you probably see how complex sentences work.<\/p>\n

You likely see the value of these sentences, and how powerful they can be.<\/p>\n

So how do we create them? <\/p>\n

What it comes down to is an adverb clause connector\/subordinating conjunction. <\/p>\n

There are many different types, and they can go at the beginning or end of a sentence.<\/p>\n

Here are a few of these as examples so you can get a feel for how this works.<\/p>\n