Compound Sentences

Compound Sentence

Has 2 or more independent clauses.Use the four formulas to build compound

sentencesSV, SSV, SVV, SSVVMost often we use SV

It’s like gluing two simple sentences together

Compound Sentence Formulas

I,cI She started to cry, so I gave her a tissue.

I;I Maria babysits every weekend; she is saving

money to buy a car.

I = Independent Clause (SV, SSV, SVV, SSVV)

C = coordinating conjunction

Coordinating Conjunction

A word that is used with a comma to join two independent clauses.

,for ,but,and ,or,nor ,yet

,so

These are the FANBOYS!

Compound Sentences

Example: (two independent clauses)

The students finished class.They went to lunch.

The students finished class, so they went to lunch.

Semicolons

A semicolon is used to join two independent clauses of a compound sentence Use a semicolon whenever you don’t want

to use a coordinating conjunction

Example: She was going to the store; her mother

wanted her to buy some bread.

Semicolons

She was going to the store; her mother wanted her to buy some bread.

We could use one of our FANBOYS and write it like this:

She was going to the store, so her mother wanted her to buy some bread.We have options!

Examples:

We can play football, or we can play soccer.

Steve played football, so Maria went shopping.

Joe played football, but Julie played soccer.

The milk was not on the counter, nor was it on the table.

Examples

Dr. Lee teaches math; his wife teaches history.

Potatoes and beans were served; the taste was terrible.

The snow is finally melting; it has been on the ground for two weeks.

The salmon swam upstream; they were headed for their home.

Compound Sentence

Don’t mistake a simple sentence with compound subjects/verbs for a compound sentence!

Compound Sentence

The water rose and then receded.Compound verbs

Sarah and Ashley wore a green dress.Compound subjects

The tree fell, and the lumberjack stripped the branches from its trunk.

Her dress was green; her gloves were white.

The water rose and then receded.Can we make this into two separate

sentences?The water rose. Then receded. NO! You MUST have a subject and a

verb for it to be an independent clause!

Her dress was green; her gloves were white.

Can we make this into two separate sentences?

Her dress was green.Her gloves were white. YES! You’ve got a compound sentence-

two independent clauses!

Practice

What’s a compound sentence?A sentence with two or more independent

clauses.

How many independent clauses are in a simple sentence?ONE

Practice

What does a coordinating conjunction do?A word used with a comma to join two

independent clauses.

Name one coordinating conjunction:For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Practice

Where do you put a comma in a compound sentence? In front of the coordinating conjunction

What is the semicolons job in a compound sentence?To join the two independent clauses

Practice

What are the formulas for a compound sentence?

I,cII;I

Practice

The part of a sentence that names the person, place, thing, quality, or idea is…?Subject

The part of the sentence that shows the action or state-of-being is…?Verb (predicate)

Practice

How many independent clauses are in these sentences?

The bird rose rapidly and headed west.ONE! It’s a simple sentence

The Angels got creamed by the Devils, for the devils are a better team. TWO! It’s a Compound Sentence

Practice

Where does the comma go?The tree fell and the lumberjack stripped

the branches from its trunk. The tree fell, and the lumberjack stripped

the branches from its trunk.

Practice

Where does the comma go?The bird rose rapidly and headed west.It doesn’t need a comma! It’s a simple

sentence!!!The bird rose rapidly. Headed west.

Practice

Where does the semicolon go?Dr. Lee teaches math his wife teaches

history.Dr. Lee teaches math; his wife teaches

history.

Practice

Where does the comma go?The Angels got creamed by the Devils

for the Devils are a better team.The Angels got creamed by the Devils,

for the Devils are a better team.

Practice

Where does the comma go?The Angels played the Devils and lost.It doesn’t need a comma! It’s a simple

sentence!!!The Angels played the Devils.Lost.