Question

Can anyone give me an example of a compound-complex sentence with more than two independent clauses?

Is this one alright?

I love my pets; although they can be difficult at times, they are very friendly, and I enjoy their company.

Answer 1

I think that's alright!

The play 'Cenci' was degrading due to the unprecedented amount of taboo, but Percy Bysshe Shelley, the poet who wrote the play, wrote it anyway.

Independent Clause: The play 'Cenci' was degrading due to the unprecedented amount of taboo
Independent Clause: (but) Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote it anyway
Dependent clause: the poet who wrote the play

I just took the pattern of the sentence out of a website, so if it looks familiar, sue me. </3 Anyhow, as long as you have examples, it would be easier to formulate sentences. :) The Internet has a wide array of them, so it'd be helpful to check them out.

Hope this helps!

I didn't proofread these examples, but here they are anyway.

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"In America everybody is of the opinion that he has no social superiors, since all men are equal, but he does not admit that he has no social inferiors, for, from the time of Jefferson onward, the doctrine that all men are equal applies only upwards, not downwards."
(Bertrand Russell)

"Hatred, which could destroy so much, never failed to destroy the man who hated, and this was an immutable law."
(James Baldwin)

"The Druids used mistletoe in ceremonies of human sacrifice, but most of all the evergreen became a symbol of fertility because it flourished in winter when other plants withered."
(Sian Ellis, "England's Ancient 'Special Twig,'" British Heritage, January 2001)

"For in the end, freedom is a personal and lonely battle; and one faces down fears of today so that those of tomorrow might be engaged."
(Alice Walker)

"We operate under a jury system in this country, and as much as we complain about it, we have to admit that we know of no better system, except possibly flipping a coin."
(Dave Barry)

"I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."
(Steve Martin)

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
(Theodor Geisel)

Source: http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/comcomplexterm.htm
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Answer 2

but all of those examples only have two independent clauses :(

Answer 3

I realize that now, haha. It's very difficult to find a sentence with more than two independent clauses, because usually, these sentences are so long that they could be separated into two or more separate, and yet coherent, sentences.

You can follow the pattern that you've already used, yeah, but that would get rather repetitive, won't it?

I'm trying to think of a sentence without using a semi-colon. :P So far, I'm unsuccessful.

Answer 4

^^ too many independent clauses is poor style

Answer 5

but the definition of a compound-complex sentence has "two or more independent clauses" in there... so I want to know if it could be reduced to "exactly two independent clauses"

Answer 6

I don't quite understand. You mean just two independent clauses without the dependent clause?

Answer 7

I'm looking for a compound-complex sentence (so it must have at least 2 independent clauses and a dependent clause) that has 3 or more independent clauses in it.

Answer 8

OH. Haha, I'm rather slow.

So far, Google has zero for me. Not unless you list down...

"The cheering of the fans filled the room, and the feeling of adrenaline filled my veins; yet, I still had the heart to say..."

Something like that. But, like you said, it's awfully poor style. :P I'm sorry I'm not much of help.