Compound and asyndetic sentences

A complex sentence (qo‘shma gap) joins two or more simple sentences into one complex thought by means of meaning, intonation and grammatical devices. Each clause has its own predicate (and often its own subject), but the clauses are spoken not as separate sentences but as one whole, without a break in intonation. Events in life are usually linked — by cause and effect, contrast or sequence — and the complex sentence expresses exactly this link. The exam asks you to identify the type of complex sentence and to punctuate correctly between its clauses. This lesson covers the general features of complex sentences, compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions and asyndetic sentences; sentences with subordinate clauses are studied in detail in the next lesson.

§1. Recognising a complex sentence

Homogeneous predicates in a simple sentence do not make it complex: U keldi va o‘tirdi (He came and sat down) — one subject, two homogeneous predicates → a simple sentence.
U keldi, men esa ketdim (He came, while I left) — two subjects, two predicates → a complex sentence.
Converbs and participles are normally not counted as independent predicates: U kitobni o‘qib, uxlab qoldi (Reading the book, he fell asleep) — a simple sentence (o‘qib is an adverbial).
A clause may lack a subject, but it must have a predicate: Kech bo‘ldi, uyga qaytdik (It got late; we went home) — the second clause has a hidden subject (biz), so this is a complex sentence too.
Complex sentences are of three types:

• compound (bog‘langan) — the clauses are equal and joined by coordinating conjunctions;
• complex with subordinate clauses (ergash gapli) — one clause depends on and explains the other;
• asyndetic (bog‘lovchisiz) — the clauses are linked by intonation only.

In sentences of three or more clauses different links may be mixed; such a sentence is called a multiple complex sentence (murakkab qo‘shma gap).

Worked example

Is Qo‘ng‘iroq chalindi, o‘quvchilar sinfga kirib, darsga tayyorlanishdi ("The bell rang; the pupils went into the classroom and got ready for the lesson") simple or complex?

1. Find the predicates: chalindi (subject qo‘ng‘iroq) and tayyorlanishdi (subject o‘quvchilar).
2. kirib is a converb — not an independent predicate but an adverbial.
3. Two independent predicates and two subjects — two clauses.
4. Answer: a complex sentence (asyndetic, two clauses).

§2. Compound sentences

The clauses are grammatically equal and joined by coordinating conjunctions. The conjunction also shows the meaning relation:

• copulative (va, hamda, ham...ham) — simultaneity or sequence: Qor yog‘di va yerlar oqardi. (Snow fell and the ground turned white.)
• adversative (ammo, lekin, biroq, balki) — contrast: Kech bo‘ldi, lekin u kelmadi. (It got late, but he did not come.)
• disjunctive (yoki, yo...yo, goh...goh, dam...dam) — alternation: Goh yomg‘ir yog‘adi, goh quyosh chiqadi. (Now it rains, now the sun comes out.)
• negative (na...na): Na u keldi, na xabar yubordi. (He neither came nor sent word.)
• -u/-yu, ham, esa acting as conjunctions also join clauses: Men kitob o‘qidim, ukam esa rasm chizdi. (I read a book, while my younger brother drew a picture.)

esa sits inside a clause, usually after the subject of the second clause, while the comma goes after the first clause: Akam ishga ketdi, men esa maktabga. (My brother went to work, and I to school.)

Worked example

Punctuate Darsdan keyin Anvar kutubxonaga bordi Vali esa uyga ketdi ("After the lesson Anvar went to the library, while Vali went home").

1. Predicates: bordi, ketdi — two clauses, with the subjects Anvar and Vali.
2. The second clause has esa meaning contrast — the clauses are equal, so it is a compound sentence.
3. There is no va, so a comma goes between the clauses.
4. Answer: Darsdan keyin Anvar kutubxonaga bordi, Vali esa uyga ketdi.

§3. Asyndetic complex sentences

The clauses are joined without conjunctions, by intonation. The punctuation mark depends on the meaning relation between them:

• Comma — listing, simultaneity, sequence: Shamol esdi, daraxtlar tebrandi, barglar to‘kildi. (The wind blew, the trees swayed, the leaves fell.)
• Semicolon — the clauses are extended and contain commas: Qishloqda ertalabdan ish qizigan edi; ayollar, bolalar, qariyalar — hamma dalada edi.
• Colon — the second clause gives the cause of the first or explains it: Ko‘chaga chiqmadim: yomg‘ir yog‘ardi. (I didn’t go out: it was raining.) Bir narsani bilaman: mehnat albatta samara beradi. (I know one thing: hard work always pays off.)
• Dash — the second clause expresses a result, a sharp contrast, a condition or time, or a quick change of events: Yomg‘ir yog‘di — ekinlar ko‘kardi. (It rained — the crops turned green.) O‘qisang — bilasan. (Study and you will know.)

The colon and the dash show opposite relations: with a colon the cause is in the second clause; with a dash the cause is in the first and the result in the second.

Worked example

Which mark is needed in Hamma xursand edi bayram yaqinlashardi ("Everyone was happy: the holiday was approaching")?

1. Two clauses: Hamma xursand edi and bayram yaqinlashardi.
2. The second clause gives the cause of the first: chunki bayram yaqinlashardi.
3. The cause is in the second clause — a colon.
4. Answer: Hamma xursand edi: bayram yaqinlashardi.

Worked example

Punctuate Bahor keldi dalalar yashil gilamga burkandi ("Spring came — the fields were covered with a green carpet").

1. Two clauses: Bahor keldi and dalalar yashil gilamga burkandi.
2. The second clause is the result of the first: bahor keldi, shuning uchun dalalar burkandi.
3. A result relation — a dash.
4. Answer: Bahor keldi — dalalar yashil gilamga burkandi.

§4. Synonymous constructions

One thought can be expressed by sentences of different structure:

• Yomg‘ir yog‘di, shuning uchun sayrga chiqmadik (compound);
• Yomg‘ir yog‘gani uchun sayrga chiqmadik (simple);
• Sayrga chiqmadik: yomg‘ir yog‘di (asyndetic);
• Sayrga chiqmadik, chunki yomg‘ir yog‘di (with a subordinate clause).

This matters for style: an asyndetic sentence is concise and expressive, while one with a conjunction is more precise and suits formal style. The exam often asks "which sentence is synonymous with the one given?" — check that the meaning relation (cause, result, contrast) is preserved.

§5. How to analyse a complex sentence

You will make fewer mistakes if you follow this order:

• find and count all independent predicates — this gives the number of clauses;
• find the subject of each clause (including hidden ones);
• decide what links the clauses: a coordinating conjunction, a subordinating device, or intonation only;
• decide the meaning relation: simultaneity, contrast, cause, result, condition;
• choose the punctuation mark according to that relation.

Worked example

Analyse Kun isib ketdi, lekin shamol hamon sovuq edi: bahor endi boshlangan edi ("It had warmed up, but the wind was still cold: spring had only just begun").

1. Predicates: isib ketdi, sovuq edi, boshlangan edi — three clauses.
2. The first and second clauses are joined by the adversative lekin, with a comma before it.
3. The third clause, without a conjunction, explains the cause of what precedes — a colon.
4. Conjunction-based and asyndetic links are combined in one sentence.
5. Answer: a multiple complex sentence (compound and asyndetic links).

Check yourself

1. What type is Quyosh chiqdi va qushlar sayradi?

2. Is U kitobni oldi va o‘qiy boshladi a complex sentence?

3. Which mark goes between the clauses of Yomg‘ir yog‘di ekinlar ko‘kardi?

4. Why is there a colon in Ish ko‘p edi: ertaga imtihon?

5. What relation does the dash express in Mehnat qilsang — rohat ko‘rasan?

6. What kind of conjunction is in Goh kuldi, goh yig‘ladi?

7. How many clauses are there in Kech bo‘ldi, uyga qaytdik?

8. What links the clauses in Men kitob o‘qidim, ukam esa rasm chizdi?

Common mistakes

• Putting a comma before va: ✗ Qor yog‘di, va yerlar oqardi.
• Treating a simple sentence with homogeneous predicates as complex.
• Using a dash for cause and a colon for result.
• Leaving out the comma before lekin, ammo.
• Counting a converb as an independent predicate: o‘qib, uxlab qoldi has one predicate.
• Ignoring a clause with a hidden subject: Kech bo‘ldi, uyga qaytdik has two clauses.