Which of the following sentences correctly uses a complex sentence structure?
A. They had to decide between adopting a cat or a dog at the rescue shelter.
B. Whenever the boys played in the rain, they came home with muddy clothes.
C. The student brought her laptop, textbooks, and parking pass.
D. She wanted to go to the beach after she left work.
The sentence "She wanted to go to the beach after she left work."(Choice D) correctly uses a complex sentence structure. It consists of an independent clause "She wanted to go to the beach" and a dependent clause "after she left work."
Choice B is wrong because the sentence contains two independent clauses: "Whenever the boys played in the rain" and "they came home with muddy clothes." These clauses are joined by the coordinating conjunction "and." While it is a sentence with multiple clauses, it does not contain a dependent clause.
Note: To be a complex sentence, there should be an independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Choice B only consists of two independent clauses without a dependent clause, making it a compound sentence instead of a complex sentence.
Be keen to differentiate between complex and compound sentences.
Therefore, the Correct Answer is D.