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Compound Sentence
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What Is a Compound Sentence? (with Examples)
A compound sentence is a sentence with at least two independent clauses.
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Examples of Compound Sentences
Below are examples of compound sentences. In each example, the independent clauses are shaded.- Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. (Albert Einstein, 1879-1955)
- There used to be a real me, but I had it surgically removed. (Peter Sellers, 1925-1980)
- Go, and never darken my towels again. (Groucho Marx, 1890-1977) (Note: Go is the shortest sentence in English.)
- Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do. (Dale Carnegie)
Joining the Independent Clauses in a Compound Sentence
In a compound sentence, the independent clauses are joined using one of the following methods:- A conjunction with a comma (e.g., ", and")
- I like tea, and he likes coffee.
- A semicolon
- I like hot chocolate; it sends me to sleep.
- A colon
- I know one thing: I love that girl. (This is rare because the words after a colon are not often an independent clause.)
- A dash
- I know you're here — I can smell your perfume.
- A conjunction with a semicolon (e.g., "; and")
- After the lights went out, I could hear you whispering; and I know you were talking about me. (This is rare because it's an outdated style.)
Video Lesson
Here is a short video explaining what we mean by compound sentence.The Four Types of Sentence Structure
A compound sentence is one of four main sentence structures, all of which are shown below. In these examples, the independent clauses are shaded.A Complex Sentence. A complex sentence has an independent clause and at least one dependent clause. For example:
- Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggie" until you can find a rock. (Will Rogers, 1879-1935)
- Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. (Joseph Heller, 1923-1999) (Jane Wagner) (This example has three independent clauses.)
- A country can be judged by the quality of its proverbs. (German Proverb)
- I stopped believing in Santa Claus when he asked for my autograph in a department store, but I still want to believe in him.
Why Compound Sentences Are Important
There are two great reasons to learn about compound sentences.(Reason 1) Deciding whether to put a comma before "and" (or any conjunction).
A conjunction (e.g., "and," "or," "but") that joins two independent clauses in a compound sentence is preceded by a comma. A conjunction that joins two of anything else is not normally preceded with a comma. For example:- She tells great jokes and sings brilliantly.
- She tells great jokes, and she sings brilliantly.
- A geek is a guy who has everything going for him, but he's just too young. He's got the software, but he doesn't have the hardware yet.
(Filmmaker John Hughes)
(Note that the conjunctions (in bold) are preceded by commas because the clauses either side of them are independent clauses. This is two compound sentences.)
- A geek is a guy who has everything going for him but is just too young. He's got the software but doesn't have the hardware yet.
Read more about commas with conjunctions.
(Reason 2) Avoid the run-on sentence.
You cannot join two independent clauses with just a comma. That causes a mistake known as the run-on sentence.- Dogs have masters, cats have servants.
- Cannibals don't eat clowns, they taste funny.
- I didn't fall, I'm just spending some quality time with the floor.
- Dogs have masters, but cats have servants.
- Cannibals don't eat clowns; they taste funny.
- I didn't fall — I'm just spending some quality time with the floor.
Learning the other sentence structures will also help with punctuating sentences correctly.
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