Compound Sentences: How to Join Two Independent Clauses

A compound sentence is a type of sentence that contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. Each independent clause in a compound sentence can stand alone as a complete sentence because it has its subject and predicate. Coordinating conjunctions used to connect these clauses include "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," and "yet."

Points to Remember While Creating Compound Sentences

• Connect independent clauses using coordinating conjunctions such as "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," or "yet."

• Place a comma before the coordinating conjunction when joining two independent clauses. For example, "She enjoys reading, and he likes watching movies."

• Ensure each clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, with its subject and predicate.

• Do not simply join independent clauses with a comma without a coordinating conjunction, as this creates a comma splice or run-on sentence.

• For closely related independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction, use a semicolon. For example, "She likes the beach; he prefers the mountains."

• Use compound sentences to add variety and depth to your writing, but avoid overusing them to maintain clarity.

How to Identify a Compound Sentence

1. Look for Multiple Clauses: Check if the sentence contains two or more independent clauses. Each clause should be able to stand alone as a complete sentence.

2. Find Coordinating Conjunctions: Identify if the clauses are joined by coordinating conjunctions like "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," or "yet."

3. Check for Semicolons: Look for semicolons used to connect closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.

4. Examine Sentence Structure: Ensure that each independent clause has its subject and predicate and that they are joined in a way that shows a relationship between them.

5. Test Each Clause: Break the sentence into parts and see if each part forms a complete thought on its own. If it does, and they are joined correctly, the sentence is likely to compound.

Example:

• Sentence: "I wanted to go to the concert, but I had to work late."

• Clauses: "I wanted to go to the concert" and "I had to work late"

• Conjunction: "But" (joins the clauses)

• Structure: Each clause is an independent sentence that provides complete information.

Compound Sentences Examples

"I wanted to buy the new book, but it was out of stock."

• Clauses: "I wanted to buy the new book" and "It was out of stock"

• Conjunction: "But"

"She enjoys hiking, and her brother prefers cycling."

• Clauses: "She enjoys hiking" and "her brother prefers cycling"

• Conjunction: "and"

"The weather was perfect for a picnic, so we decided to go to the park."

• Clauses: "The weather was perfect for a picnic" and "We decided to go to the park"

• Conjunction: "so"

"I can finish my homework now, or I can do it later."

• Clauses: "I can finish my homework now" and "I can do it later"

• Conjunction: "or"

"He missed the bus, yet he still arrived on time for the meeting."

• Clauses: "He missed the bus" and "he still arrived on time for the meeting"

• Conjunction: "Yet"

Example of Compound Sentences with a Coordinating Conjunction

"I wanted to go for a walk, but it started raining."

• Clauses: "I wanted to go for a walk" and "It started raining"

• Conjunction: "But"

"She loves cooking, and her sister enjoys baking."

• Clauses: "She loves cooking" and "her sister enjoys baking"

• Conjunction: "and"

"We could go to the beach, or we could stay at home."

• Clauses: "We could go to the beach" and "We could stay at home"

• Conjunction: "or"

"He studied hard for the exam, so he passed with flying colours."

• Clauses: "He studied hard for the exam" and "he passed with flying colours"

• Conjunction: "so"

"I don’t like horror movies, nor do I enjoy thrillers."

• Clauses: "I don’t like horror movies" and "I do not enjoy thrillers"

• Conjunction: "Nor"

Example of Compound Sentences without a Conjunction

1. "I wanted to visit the museum; it was closed on Mondays."

• Clauses: "I wanted to visit the museum" and "It was closed on Mondays"

2. "She has a beautiful garden; her flowers bloom year-round."

• Clauses: "She has a beautiful garden" and "Her flowers bloom year-round"

3. "He forgot his keys at home; he had to call a locksmith."

• Clauses: "He forgot his keys at home" and "he had to call a locksmith"

4. "The movie was entertaining; the book was even better."

• Clauses: "The movie was entertaining" and "The book was even better"

5. "I am going to the gym; my friend is joining me later."

• Clauses: "I am going to the gym" and "My friend is joining me later"

Example of Compound Sentences with a Conjunctive Adverb

1. She was feeling tired; however, she decided to finish her project."

• Clauses: "She was feeling tired" and "She decided to finish her project"

• Conjunctive Adverb: "however"

2. "The weather was unpredictable; therefore, we brought both sunscreen and an umbrella."

• Clauses: "The weather was unpredictable" and "We brought both sunscreen and an umbrella"

• Conjunctive Adverb: "therefore"

3. "I wanted to go hiking; meanwhile, my friends preferred to relax at home."

• Clauses: "I wanted to go hiking" and "My friends preferred to relax at home"

• Conjunctive Adverb: "meanwhile"

4. "He has completed the report; consequently, he can start working on the presentation."

• Clauses: "He has completed the report" and "he can start working on the presentation"

• Conjunctive Adverb: "Consequently"

5. "The concert tickets were sold out; nevertheless, we found a way to get in."

• Clauses: "The concert tickets were sold out" and "We found a way to get in"

• Conjunctive Adverb: "nevertheless"

Test Your Knowledge Of with 10 Compound Sentences.

1. Combine the following sentences using a coordinating conjunction:

• "She loves reading books."

• "Her brother enjoys watching movies."

2. Rewrite the following sentences as a compound sentence using a semicolon:

• "The restaurant was busy."

• "We found a table quickly."

3. Create a compound sentence using a conjunctive adverb from the following pairs of sentences:

• "The sun was shining brightly."

• "The picnic was cancelled."

4. Combine these sentences into a compound sentence using the appropriate coordinating conjunction:

• "I will go to the store."

• "I need to buy groceries."

5. Rewrite these sentences as a compound sentence using a semicolon or coordinating conjunction:

• "She was running late for the meeting."

• "She managed to arrive on time."

6. Use a conjunctive adverb to combine the following sentences into a compound sentence:

• "The new software is difficult to learn."

• "The training sessions have been very helpful."

7. Form a compound sentence using a coordinating conjunction from these clauses:

• "He was tired."

• "He decided to stay up and finish his assignment."

8. Combine these two sentences into a compound sentence using a semicolon:

• "The team worked hard on the project."

• "The presentation was a success."

9. Create a compound sentence using a conjunctive adverb from the following sentences:

• "The car broke down on the way to the beach."

• "We had to call for roadside assistance."

10. Transform these sentences into a compound sentence with a coordinating conjunction:

• "The dog barked loudly."

• "The neighbours were not disturbed."

Find Out if You Got them All Right from the Answers Below.

1. She loves reading books, and her brother enjoys watching movies.

2. The restaurant was busy; we found a table quickly.

3. The sun was shining brightly; however, the picnic was cancelled.

4. I will go to the store because I need to buy groceries.

5. She was running late for the meeting, but she managed to arrive on time.

6. The new software is difficult to learn; nevertheless, the training sessions have been very helpful.

7. He was tired, so he decided to stay up and finish his assignment.

8. The team worked hard on the project; the presentation was a success.

9. The car broke down on the way to the beach; consequently, we had to call for roadside assistance.

10. The dog barked loudly, yet the neighbours were not disturbed.

Takeaways from This Page

• Compound sentences are formed by joining two independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions, semicolons, or conjunctive adverbs, each of which can stand alone as a complete sentence.

• Semicolons can link closely related independent clauses without a conjunction. They are useful for showing a direct connection between ideas.

• Proper punctuation is essential in compound sentences. Use commas before conjunctions and semicolons between closely related clauses.

• Words like "however," "therefore," "meanwhile," and "consequently" are used to connect independent clauses with a semicolon and are followed by a comma.