Compound Sentence

COMPOUND SENTENCE

What is a Compound Sentence?

A compound sentence is one that has at least two independent clauses joined by a comma, a semicolon or conjunction. An independent clause has a subject and verb, and forms a complete thought.

An example of a compound sentence is: 'This house is too expensive, and that house is too small.' This is a compound sentence because it has two independent clauses, separated by a comma and the coordinating conjunction, and.

When independent clauses are joined with coordinators (also called 'coordinating conjunctions') commas and semicolons, they do more than just join the clauses. They add meaning and flow to your writing.

First let's look at the coordinators you can use to join independent clauses. They are: FANBOYS.

ü  For

ü  And

ü  Not,

ü  But

ü  Or

ü  Yet

Here's an example of how coordinators add meaning:

1.      I think you'd enjoy the party, *but* I don't mind if you stay home.

In this sentence the coordinator but shows a clear relationship between the two independent clauses. Also, without the coordinator but, the writing is choppy and the meaning less clear:

I think you'd enjoy the party. I don't mind if you stay home.

If you join clauses with a semicolon you add a pause, creating a different kind of effect as shown in the sentence below:

1.      He said he didn't mind if I stayed home; it soon became clear he wasn't being honest.

The semicolon should be used when the two independent clauses are related, but they should also contrast in a way that you want to stand out.

The other examples of compound sentences include the following:

1. Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.
    
2. I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station, but they arrived at the station before noon and left on the bus before I arrived.
    
3. Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, and they left on the bus before I arrived.
    
4. Mary and Samantha left on the bus before I arrived, so I did not see them at the bus station.

Coordinating conjunctions are useful for connecting sentences, but compound sentences often are overused. While coordinating conjunctions can indicate some type of relationship between the two independent clauses in the sentence, they sometimes do not indicate much of a relationship. The word "and," for example, only adds one independent clause to another, without indicating how the two parts of a sentence are logically related. Too many compound sentences that use "and" can weaken writing.

Clearer and more specific relationships can be established through the use of complex sentences.