在复合句子中，英语的主句为主要部分，一般放在句首，即重心在前。而汉语则一般按照逻辑和时间顺序，将主要部分放在句尾，形成后中心。例如：
1. Nothing has happened since we parted.
自我们别后没发生什么事情。
2. I went out for a walk after I had my dinner.
晚饭后我出去散步。
3. He has to stay at home because he is ill.
他病了只得呆在家里。
4. He cannot he operated upon as he is very weak.
他身体很弱不能动手术。
5. Tragedies can be written in literature since there is tragedy in life.
生活中既有悲剧，文学作品就可以写悲剧。
又如：
6. His chief contribution was making me realize how much more than knowledge I had been getting from him.
他使我认识到，我从他那里学到的，远远不只是知识，这是他最大的贡献。

在英语中先出现His chief contribution，然后出现具体的分析，也就是先提出主要的结论，再加以阐述。而汉语则不然，先进行阐述，后进行归纳。

从上述例句可以说明，汉语如果有叙事部分，有表态部分，往往先把事物或情况讲清楚，最后来一个简短的表态或评论。英语则相反，先表态，然后才说发生了什么事情。再举一个典型句子加以说明：
7. It was a keen disappointment when I had to postpone the visit which I intended to pay to China in January.
我原来打算在今年一月访问中国，后来不得不推迟，这使我非常失望。