Complex sentence: McAlpine was born in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, and left school at the age of 10 to work in a coal mine, but became an apprentice bricklayer.
Split into simpler sentences: McAlpine was born in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. He left school at the age of 10 to work in a coal mine, but became an apprentice bricklayer.