Compound Sentences
Creating and Identifying
Part One:
• Linking independent clauses using coordinating
conjunctions.
Review: What is a clause?
• A clause is a group of words that always
contains two things—subject and verb.
• It may be independent or dependent.
• In other words, a clause may be a complete
sentence, or it may depend upon more words to
make it a complete sentence.
Review: What is a clause?
• Let’s use the idea of a train to represent the two
types of clauses.
• Independent
• Dependent
Review: What is a clause?
• Think of an independent clause as a train
engine. It has the power to move alone.
Review: What is a clause?
• Likewise, think of a dependent clause as a box
car or caboose that may be pulled by the train’s
engine, but has no power on its own.
Review: What is a clause?
• In conclusion, the clause come in two types
independent and dependent.
• In order to recognize an independent clause, you
must be able to answer yes to the following
question:
Review: What is a clause?
• Does it have a subject AND a verb?
Review: What is a clause?
• Although this is the most important question, an
independent clause also sounds right.
• Therefore, it is useful to listen to the sentence;
say it aloud if possible and decide if it sounds
like a complete sentence.
Creating Compound Sentences
• Now that we understand what a clause is, we
must learn how to connect them to create
compound sentences.
• There is only one type of connector for
compound sentences: The Coordinating
Conjunction.
Creating Compound Sentences
• There are only eight coordinating conjunctions.
• They are easily remembered by the acronym FA-N-B-O-Y-S-; or fanboys;
Creating Compound Sentences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Here is a list of the coordinating conjunctions:
for
and
nor
but
or
yet
so
;
Creating Compound Sentences
• Be careful not to forget the last one—the
semicolon! Remember there are eight
coordinating conjunctions.
Creating Compound Sentences
• Think of a coordinating conjunction as a way to
connect two independent clauses. Remember, an
independent clause is a complete sentence, a
clause that can stand alone.
Creating Compound Sentences
• Therefore, returning to our train metaphor, a
coordinating conjunction is the link between two
train engines.
• It may sound strange to link engines, but the
clauses, like the engines represent equal ideas.
One does not depend on the other
Creating Compound Sentences
• In fact, it is possible to link more than two train
engines together using more than one
coordinating conjunction. As long as the
sentence remains logical, coordinate away.
Creating Compound Sentences
• Here is an example of three independent clauses
that have been linked using two coordinating
conjunctions:
• It is difficult to take classes during the summer,
but Mary wants to transfer to the university
next spring, so she is taking classes instead of a
vacation this summer.
Creating Compound Sentences
• Let’s test the clauses to see if they are
independent by locating the coordinating
conjunctions and looking to the left and the right
of each.
Creating Compound Sentences
1. It is difficult to take classes during the summer.
• Subject? yes
• Verb? yes
• Does it pass the sound test? That is, does it
sound right? Yes
Creating Compound Sentences
2. Mary wants to transfer to the university next
spring.
• Subject? yes
• Verb? yes
• Does it pass the sound test? Yes
Creating Compound Sentences
3. She is taking classes instead of a vacation this
summer.
• Subject? yes
• Verb? yes
• Does it pass the sound test? Yes
Creating Compound Sentences
• Each of the three sentences in the example are
simple sentences. In other words, each of the
sentences is also an independent clause.
Therefore, an independent clause is a simple
sentence.
Creating Compound Sentences
• However, once we linked the simple sentences
using coordination conjunctions, we changed the
sentence type. Let’s look at our example again:
• It is difficult to take classes during the summer,
but Mary wants to transfer to the university
next spring, so she is taking classes instead of a
vacation this summer.
Creating Compound Sentences
• Because our example sentence is made up of two
or more independent clauses or simple
sentences linked by coordinating conjunctions, it
now becomes a compound sentence.
Part Two:
• Identifying Compound Sentences
Identifying Compound Sentences
• Now that we understand how to link
independent clauses, or simple sentences, using
coordinating conjunctions, we know how to
create, and therefore, also how to identify
compound sentences: We simply work
backwards.
Identifying Compound Sentences
• Once again, let’s look at our example:
• It is difficult to take classes during the summer,
but Mary wants to transfer to the university
next spring, so she is taking classes instead of a
vacation this summer.
Identifying Compound Sentences
• As we learned in part one, each of the clauses
passes the subject-plus-verb test. Let’s use
another example:
• John loves to surf, so he went to the South of
France during his summer vacation and
Australia during the winter break.
Identifying Compound Sentences
1. John loves to surf.
• Subject? yes
• Verb? yes
• Does it pass the sound test? Yes
Identifying Compound Sentences
2. He went to the South of France during his
summer vacation.
• Subject? yes
• Verb? yes
• Does it pass the sound test? Yes
Identifying Compound Sentences
3. Australia during the winter break.
• Subject? yes
• Verb? no!
• Does it pass the sound test? no!
Identifying Compound Sentences
• Okay, so we know that two of the clauses are
independent, and one is not. In fact, it does not
have a subject AND a verb, so it is not even a
clause.
• But, is it still a compound sentence?
Identifying Compound Sentences
• That’s right! Because the sentence contains at
least two independent clauses linked by a
coordinating conjunction, it is a compound
sentence.
Identifying Compound Sentences
• But what about the last chunk of words? Don’t
they matter? Don’t they change the sentence
type?
NO!
Identifying Compound Sentences
• In fact, if a group of words does not pass the
subject-plus-verb test, it does not change the
sentence type.
• Don’t be fooled by imitations! Only a clause is a
clause. Everything else is just a group of words,
or a phrase.
Identifying Compound Sentences
• Phrases are very useful, and may add important
details and style to your sentences. However,
when it comes to identifying sentence types, they
can cause trouble if you don’t recognize them for
what they are.
Identifying Compound Sentences
• What are some phrases in our first example?
Identifying Compound Sentences
It is difficult to take classes during the summer, but
Mary wants to transfer to the university next spring,
so she is taking classes instead of a vacation this
summer.
• The first clause—It is difficult to take classes during
the summer—has two phrases:
1. to take classes
2. during the summer
Identifying Compound Sentences
• We could have just said, “It is difficult,” but even
though it would have been an independent
clause, it would have left out some important
details:
• What is difficult?
• When is it difficult?
Identifying Compound Sentences
• The second clause—Mary wants to transfer to
the university next spring—also has two phrases:
1. to transfer
2. to the university next spring
Identifying Compound Sentences
• Although, “Mary wants,” contains both a subject
and a verb, it needs more.
• The same is true of the third clause. Try it on
your own. Can you find the phrase?
Identifying Compound Sentences
• There is just one:
1. of a vacation this summer
Identifying Compound Sentences
• Without phrases, our sentence would look and
sound very different:
• It is difficult, but Mary wants, so she is taking
classes instead.
Identifying Compound Sentences
• Technically, the sentence is correct, but it is
useless. It leaves us with more questions than
answers.
• Therefore, it is important to recognize phrases,
but know that they are not clauses.
• Phrases provide information, details, and style,
but they do not change the sentence type.
Self Test
• How many coordinating conjunctions are there?
• Name the coordinating conjunctions?
• What two things does a clause always have?
• What are the two types of clauses?
• Which one is the same as a simple sentence?
Answers to Self Test
• There are eight coordinating conjunctions.
• They are, FOR AND NOR BUT OR YET SO ;
• A clause always has a subject and a verb.
• Clause are either independent or dependent.
• An independent clause is a simple sentence.
Credits
Laura Neubauer
lneubauer@saddleback.edu