What does a compound-complex sentence contain?

A compound-complex sentence is characterized by its structure, which includes at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. This combination allows the sentence to convey multiple ideas and establish complex relationships between thoughts.

The presence of two independent clauses means that the sentence can stand alone, conveying complete thoughts. Meanwhile, the dependent clause adds additional information but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. This enriches the writing by allowing for more nuanced expressions and a variety of sentence structures.

In contrast, a sentence composed solely of independent clauses would be classified as a compound sentence, while one that contains only dependent clauses would not be a complete thought at all. Furthermore, a single clause with no conjunctions would simplify the structure and would not meet the criteria for either compound or complex arrangements. Therefore, the defining feature of a compound-complex sentence is precisely its combination of independent and dependent clauses, making the first choice the correct answer.