A compound sentence can be done using the Grammarly app. Which is a sentence that joins two separate clauses using a conjunction such as and or but. They work best when two or more self-contained and related sentences are combined into a single, cohesive one.

Compound sentences speed up your writing and connect related concepts, but they have a few more restrictions than ordinary sentences. In this short tutorial, we’ll show you how to correctly use them to give your writing an edge.

What is the definition of a compound sentence?

Compound sentences, as stated in our tutorial on how to create better sentences, combine two or more separate clauses. Independent clauses are critical here, since they are clauses that may stand alone as complete sentences. In essence, a compound sentence combines many related phrases into one.

(If you’re unfamiliar with these words, please see our guide to English clauses, which explains what a clause is.)

Compound sentences are easily recognizable because they often include a coordinating conjunction, which you may recall as FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So. However, compound sentences may also include a semicolon to link two clauses, obviating the need for a conjunction.

Consider the following examples of compound sentences to understand how they function.

Examples of compound sentences

Two straightforward phrases follow. Both are self-contained sentences, since they include their own subjects and verbs.

I have an iguana as a pet. Fluffy is his given name.

To make a compound sentence out of them, we simply add a comma and the coordinating conjunction and.

Fluffy is the name of my pet iguana.

Alternatively, we may create a compound sentence by just adding a semicolon and maintaining the phrase’s correctness.

My pet iguana is named Fluffy.

Although they are discussing the same issue, their topics are distinct: the first sentence’s subject is I, while the second sentence’s subject is name. That is part of what distinguishes them from compound sentences, which need separate clauses to function. For instance, the following phrase is not a compound sentence.

Fluffy is the name of my pet iguana.

It must include at least two subjects and two verbs to qualify as a compound sentence. If two sentences have the same subject, the subject must be mentioned twice, as in the following example. Otherwise, the phrase is not compound.

“I am unable to alter the world on my own, but I can throw a stone across the river and cause many ripples.” —Aunt Teresa

Take caution with sentences that include two subjects or two verbs; they are not synonymous with compound sentences. The following phrase is not a compound sentence since it has just one subject and does not include an independent clause after the conjunction “and”:

I came here to learn grammar and chew bubble gum.

However, by adding another independent clause with a second subject, you may transform this phrase into a compound sentence:

I came here to study grammar and chew bubble gum, but I’m out of gum.

Bear in mind that imperative phrases do not necessarily indicate their subjects, since they are inferred. This results in complex phrases such as the following:

Bring me some water before the fire spreads!

Consider the following examples of compound sentences from some of history’s finest writers:

“Nature moves slowly, but everything gets done.” —Lotus Tzu

“Be unique; everyone else is taken.” —Edgar Allan Poe, a.k.a. Oscar Wilde

“You will experience many defeats during your life, but never allow yourself to be defeated.” —Anthony Maya Angelou

In complex sentences, commas and punctuation are required.

When composing complex phrases, two punctuation rules must be followed:

  • Separate the coordinating conjunction with a comma.
  • If you are not using a coordinating conjunction, separate each phrase with a semicolon.

As is customary, you begin the second independent clause with a lowercase letter. Due to the fact that compound sentences are comprised of a single phrase, only the first letter of the first clause is capitalized.

It is essential to master these punctuation rules in order to create complex phrases. Without them, your sentence would inevitably become a run-on sentence. In writing, run-on sentences are not only technically wrong, but also make your reader’s life more difficult.

To prevent both run-on phrases and perplexingly lengthy complex sentences, keep a sentence’s clause count to two or three. When more than three clauses are required, make them as brief as possible by omitting superfluous words. Bear in mind that shorter phrases are simpler to comprehend and offer your work a more rapid pace.

It’s easy to mistake compound sentences with complicated sentences; both include two or more clauses. However, the most important distinction is in the kind of phrase they employ.

Compound sentences consist of two or more distinct clauses.

I’m now working, but we’ll eat later.

Complex sentences mix independent clauses with dependent ones.

We shall eat later, since I am now working.

Because I am now working is the subordinate clause, and we shall eat later is the independent clause in this case. The clue is in the word because, which is a conjunction of subordination. Subordinating conjunctions include the words because, if, whenever, and since, as well as some prepositions such as after and before. Their function is to link dependent clauses to independent ones.

Simply by adding a subordinating conjunction, an independent clause may be transformed into a subordinating clause. I am now working alone is an independent clause, but when placed in front of another sentence, it forms a subordinating clause.

However, use caution, since a phrase may be both complicated and compound! When a single sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause, it is referred to be a complex-compound sentence.

After I returned home from work, my friends asked me out, and I ventured back out of my apartment.

After I returned home from work is the subordinate clause in this instance (you can tell because the word after appears at the front). Both my friends invited me out and I returned to my flat are distinct sentences connected by the conjunction and. Combine all three clauses with the appropriate punctuation to create an utterly accurate complex-compound phrase.

Your writing should be polished.

Even for lifelong English speakers, the rules governing various clauses and how to combine them may get complex. It takes some time to adjust, particularly when learning the many coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

If you’re not confident in your English, you may always utilize a writing aid such as Grammarly. Our writing recommendations highlight any grammatical errors you may have overlooked, such as run-on sentences and omitted commas before conjunctions. This feedback enables you to guarantee that your work is understandable to your viewers.

Now is the time to give Grammarly a try and write with confidence for all your Digital Marketing work!

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