In a previous lesson, we learned about simple sentences. We learned that they are independent clauses. That is, they contain subjects and verbs and express complete ideas. Now, let’s focus our attention on compound sentences. The word “compound” means being composed of two or more things, so a compound sentence is composed of two or more simple sentences.
Let’s look at an example.
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| We were late. | simple sentence: being late is the complete thought |
| Our friends left without us. | simple sentence: leaving without us is the complete thought |
| We were late, so our friends left without us. | compound sentence: both complete thoughts |
In this case, the two complete thoughts, or simple sentences, were joined together by “so”, which is a coordinating conjunction. There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English: for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so. An easy way not to forget them is to remember that combining the first letter of each spells fanboys.
Be careful. Coordinating conjunctions show that the things being joined are equal. For example, they can be used to join two subjects, two verbs or two phrases. It’s only when they join two or more independent clauses (simple sentences) that they create compound sentences. Let’s look at some examples.
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Emily worked hard. | simple sentence: subject = Emily, verb = worked |
| She got excellent grades. | simple sentence: subject = she, verb = got |
| Emily worked hard and got excellent grades. | simple sentence: subject = Emily, verbs = worked & got |
In the above example, the coordinating conjunction “and” joins two verbs, but the subject is the same. The result is a simple sentence with one subject and two verbs. Now let’s look at a different example.
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Emily worked hard. | simple sentence: subject = Emily, verb = worked |
| Her parents were proud of her. | simple sentence: subject = parents, verb = were proud |
| Emily worked hard, so her parents were proud of her. | compound sentence: both complete thoughts |
In this case, the coordinating conjunction “so” is being used to join two complete ideas in which the subjects as well as the verbs are different. The result is a compound sentence.
It is important to be able to write compound sentences, but be careful. Do not use them too often. Combine them with simple and complex sentences to make your compositions more interesting.
When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.