Complex to Simple & vice-versa: Transformation of Sentences Class 11
Rule-1: Complex Sentence with—–Though/Although/Albeit/Even if/Even though—is replaced by——–In spite of/Despite/Nevertheless/Notwithstanding + Possessive form of the Subject being a pronoun + being [ for am, is, are, was, were]/having[ for have, has, had]/Verb-ing + the rest part + the other clause.
- Complex: Though he is poor, he is honest.
- Simple: Despite + his + being poor, he is honest.
- Complex: Although he had a lot of money, he could not buy a car.
- Simple: Despite + his + having + a lot of money, he could not buy a car.
- Complex: Even if they tried heart and soul, they could not succeed in life.
- Simple: In spite of/Despite/Nevertheless/Notwithstanding their trying heart and soul, they could not succeed in life.
- Complex: They failed in life though they tried sincerely.
- Simple: They failed in life in spite of their trying sincerely.
- Complex: Albeit he stood first in the written test, he did not get the job.
- Simple: Despite his standing first in the written test, he did not get the job.
- Complex: Poor though he is, he is invited to the party.
- Simple: Despite his being very poor, he is invited to the party.
- Complex: Happy as/though I am, I shall attend the party.
- Simple: In spite of my being extremely/very happy, I shall attend the party.
Rule–2: Complex Sentence with——–if/whether/provided that/providing that——–is changed into Simple—-replacing them by——–in case of/in the event of +possessive form of the subject being a pronoun +verb-ing+ the rest part/clause+ the other part/clause.
- Complex: If you move, you will die.
- Simple: In case of your moving, you will die.
- Complex: Whether he reads well or not, he will not get GPA-5 in the exam.
- Simple: In case of/in the event of his reading well or not, he will not get GPA-5 in the exam.
- Complex: I shall help you provided that you come.
- Simple: I shall help you in case of your coming.
Note: You can use—By—– if the subject is 2nd person.
- Complex: If you read well, you will pass the exam.
- Simple: By reading well, you will pass the exam.
Rule—3: Complex sentence with——–Lest—is changed into Simple in the following way—
The 1st clause/part before Lest remains unchanged + [from Lest to should/might] is dropped out + to avoid +Verb-ing +the rest part.
- Complex: Walk fast lest you should miss the train.
- Simple: Walk fast + to avoid + missing + the train.
- Complex: Hurry up lest you might get late.
- Simple: Hurry up to avoid getting late.
- Complex: He ran fast lest he should miss the bus.
- Simple: He ran fast to avoid missing the bus.
Rule—4: Complex Sentence with—- As soon as—is changed into simple replacing by——-On/After + Verb-ing+ the rest part + the other part. If the Subject is a Noun, it is used in the next part as the Subject.
- Complex: As soon as the thief saw the police, he ran away.
- Simple: On seeing the police, the thief ran away.
- Complex: As soon as we reached the station, the train left.
- Simple: On/After our reaching the station, the train left.
- Complex: As soon as the police got the order, they moved ahead.
- Simple: On/After getting the order, the police moved ahead.
Rule—5: Complex Sentence with——If not/Unless——is changed into simple by—-In case of/In the event of +possessive form of the pronominal subject +not+ verb-ing+ the rest part/clause+ the other clause.
- Complex: If you do not read well, you will fail in the exam.
- Simple: In case of your not reading well, you will fail in the exam.
- Complex: Unless he listens to his teachers, he will not shine in life.
- Simple: In case of his not listening to his teachers, he will not shine in life.
- Complex: Unless you move, you will face an accident.
- Simple: In case of your not moving, you will face an accident.
- Complex: Unless they attend the classes regularly, they cannot learn a lot.
- Simple: In case of their not attending the classes regularly, they cannot learn a lot.
Note: You can use–Without—– if the subject is 2nd person.
- Complex: If you do not read well, you will not pass the exam.
- Simple: Without reading well, you will not pass the exam.
Rule—6:Complex Sentence with——if/If not/Unless—— in the 2nd or 3rd conditional is always changed into simple by—-In case of/In the event of +possessive form of the pronominal subject +[not, if negative]+ verb-ing+ the rest part/clause+ the other clause.
- Complex: If he studied seriously, he would pass the exam.
- Simple: In case of his studying seriously, he would pass the exam.
- Complex: Unless he had helped me in time, I might have failed.
- Simple: In case of his not having helped me in time, I might have failed.
Rule—7: Complex Sentence with——So that/in order that ——is changed into simple in the following way.
The 1st clause before so that/ in order that+ to/ in order to + main verb+ the other clause.
Note: Drop out—so that/ in order that— up to can/could/may/might. If you want to use——-with a view to, then add-ing to the main verb.
- Complex: Students study hard so that they can pass the exam.
- Simple: Students study hard to pass the exam.
- Complex: We eat in order that we can live.
- Simple: We eat with a view to living.
- Complex: They worked hard so that they might shine in life.
- Simple: They worked hard in order to shine in life.
Rule—8: Complex Sentence with [so ……that] is changed into simple by—-[too……to] + the main Verb to rest part/clause. [ drop out——that +subject+ not]
- Complex: The boy is so dull that he cannot understand a simple matter.
- Simple: The boy is too dull to understand a simple matter.
- Complex: He is so stupid that he cannot explain the lesson.
- Simple: He is too stupid to explain the lesson.
- Complex: The old man is so weak that he cannot move an inch.
- Simple: The old man is too weak to move an inch.
Note: If the subjects of both the clauses are different, then ——-use : For+ object+ to+ main verb.
- Complex: The load is so heavy that they cannot carry it.
- Simple: The load is too heavy for them to carry it.
Rule—9: Complex with—–since/as/because———denoting— cause and effect—- is changed into simple by——-Because of/due to/ owing to/ on account of or For—— + Possessive form of the Subject being a pronoun + being [ for: am, is, are, was, were]/having[ for: have, has, had]/Verb-ing + the rest part + the other clause.
- Complex: Since he was ill, he could not go to college.
- Simple: Because of his being ill, he could not go to college.
- Complex: As he had a lot of money, he could buy a car.
- Simple: On account of/For/Due to/Owing to/Because of his having a lot of money, he could buy a car.
- Complex: They could not win the match because they could not play well.
- Simple: They could not win the match because of their not being able to play well.
Rule—10: Complex with—–since/as/because/when———denoting— different subjects—- is changed into simple by——-dropping them——+ the 1st subject +being/having + [[ being for: am, is, are, was, were]] [[having for: have, has, had]] + the rest part + the other clause.
- Complex: As the weather was foul, they did not go out.
- Simple: The weather being foul, they did not go out.
- Complex: When the meeting was over, they left the place.
- Simple: The meeting being over, they left the place.
- Complex: When the sun had risen, fog disappeared.
- Simple: The sun having risen, fog disappeared.
- Complex: Since they were disobedient, the teacher beat them.
- Simple: They being disobedient, the teacher beat them.
Rule—11: : Complex with—–since/as/because/when———denoting— the same subject in both the clauses and having principal verbs—- is changed into simple by——-Verb-ing at the beginning + the rest part + the other clause. [[ If the subject is a Noun, it is used in the 2nd clause]]
- Complex: Since the old sailor killed the albatross, he brought bad luck to the crew.
- Simple: Killing the albatross, the old sailor brought bad luck to the crew.
- Complex: As he finished the work in time, he went to bed.
- Simple: Finishing the work in time, he went to bed.
- Complex: When he closed the door, he went out.
- Simple: Closing the door, he went out.
- Complex: As they saw the thief, they informed the police.
- Simple: Seeing the thief, they informed the police.
- Complex: When they had reached the station, they got into the train in time.
- Simple: Having reached the station, they got into the train in time.
Rule—12: Complex sentence with—- a relative pronoun [[ who, which, that]]—- denoting the same person/ thing———-is changed into simple by —–Case in Apposition.
- Complex: Mr. Asad who is Principal of the BBN College is a simple man.
- Simple: Mr. Asad, Principal of the BBN College is a simple man.
- Complex: Mr.Mahabub who is a Barrister at law, practices at the Supreme Court.
- Simple: Mr. Mahbub, a Barrister at law, practices at the Supreme Court.
Rule-13: Complex sentence with—- a relative pronoun [[ who, which, that, what, as]]——-is changed into simple by —dropping them with the be/have verbs[[ am, is, are, was, were, have, has, had]] The 1st clause +main verb-ing + the other part/clause.
- Complex: The writer lived in a cabin that/which belonged to the orphanage.
- Simple: The writer lived in a cabin belonging to the orphanage.
- Complex: A solar pond that absorbs heat can cook our food.
- Simple: A solar pond absorbing heat can cook our food.
- Complex: He shot the bird which was flying.
- Simple: He shot the flying bird.
Rule-14:Complex sentence with—When/while–indicating time/day/date/month/season/year/age—–is changed into simple by———–at the time of/on+ day or date/in or during+ month/season/ in+ year/ at the age of.
- Complex: When I was reading, it was raining.
- Simple: At the time of my reading, it was raining.
- Complex: When it was summer, we went to our village.
- Simple: In/during summer, we went to our village.
- Complex: When he was 30 years old, he got married.
- Simple: At the age of 30 years old, he got married.
- Complex: When it is the rainy season, our low-lying lands go under water.
- Simple: During/In the rainy season, our low-lying lands go under water.
- Complex: When it is the 16th December, we observe our victory day.
- Simple: On the 16th December, we observe our victory day.
Rule-15: Complex sentence with—–as if/as though——–is to be changed into simple keeping the 1st clause unchanged—–+ like/really being/having + the other part.
- Complex: He talks as if he were mad.
- Simple: He talks like mad.
- Complex: He talks as though he is mad.
- Simple: He talks really being mad.
- Complex: He talked as if he had known everything.
- Simple: He talked like having known everything.
 Note: As if/ as though being used in the sentence as conjunctions, the 1st Clause being in the Present Indefinite, the next clause must be in the Past Indefinite. But some modern Grammarians say that both the Clauses can be in the Present tense. And hence, the meaning differs.
Let us take examples: He talks as if he knows everything. (really he knows) .He talks as if he knew everything.( he pretends of knowing but he does not). He talks as though he were mad. ( pretends madness but not) He talks as if he is mad.( really mad).
