Compound Sentences
Review and Practice

Compound Sentences

Introduction

Compound sentences are made up of two simple sentences (called two independent clauses) joined together. Each clause must express a complete thought. There are three ways to join the clauses. In nearly all cases, the subjects and verbs alternate and follow the pattern S V S V (subject verb subject verb).

Type 1: Coordinate Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions

Relationship or Meaning

, for

, and

, nor

, but

, or

, yet

, so

cause/effect (meaning "because")

addition

no choice

contrast

choice

contrast

cause/effect (meaning "therefore")

Example: Jesse grilled the tofu, and Ben made the salad (before dinner.)

Pattern: (S V, and S V.)

Type 2: A semicolon

Example: Jesse grilled the tofu; Ben made the salad (before dinner.)

Pattern: (S V; S V.)

Type 3: A semicolon followed by a conjunctive adverb and a comma

Relationship or Meaning

Conjunctive adverbs

Illustration

; in fact,

; for example,

; for instance,

Time, Chronological

; next,

; afterwards,

; then,

; in conclusion,

; first,

; second,

; finally,

; in the meantime,

; meanwhile,

Similarities

; likewise,

; similarly,

; in the same manner,

Addition

; in addition,

; also,

; moreover,

; furthermore,

; indeed,

Contrast, Differences

; however,

; on the other hand,

; nevertheless,

; still,

; otherwise,

; unfortunately,

; in contrast,

Cause, Effect

; therefore,

; consequently,

; hence,

; as a result,

; thus,

Example: Jesse grilled the tofu; meanwhile, Ben made the salad (before dinner.)

Pattern: (S V; meanwhile, S V.)

Watch this video explanation with examples:

Access the file here if you would like to follow along with the video or print it to take notes.

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Practice: Compound Sentences with Coordinate Conjunctions

Choosing Coordinate Conjunctions

First, read the following excerpt about motivation to study from how-to-study.com.

If you find that you lack motivation to study, welcome to the club. Just about every student experiences this problem at one time or another. Motivation is important for good studying. When you are motivated, you will find it easy to stay focused over a period of time. When you are not motivated, you will not only find it difficult to stay focused, but you will find it difficult to get started in the first place.

Here are some ways to increase your motivation to study.

Reward yourself for studying. For example, after a successful study session, have a treat like a nice big ice cream cone. Go crazy and add some cherries and nuts.
Study with your friends. Don't make it party time, but you can have fun as you do this.
Remind yourself of your long-term goals. Achievement of your goals likely requires educational success. Educational success requires studying.
Eliminate distractions. If you are surrounded by things you would rather do than study, you will probably do those things instead of studying.
Develop interest in what you have to study. This will make studying more enjoyable.
Take breaks. When you feel that you need to take a break, try to stop at a point where it is logical to stop. This will make it easier for you to resume studying after your break.
Establish a comfortable environment. You will be more inclined to study if you feel comfortable.
Establish reasonable goals for a study session. You probably won't get very far if you look at your study session as "mission impossible."
Use a motivational poster. Place the poster where you can see it as you study. The poster should include positive words and a picture depicting success. You can buy one or even make your own. You can also read inspirational stories about real people who have achieved success through effort.
Just do it. Once you do, you will feel a lot better than if you are worried about getting it done.

Whenever you experience difficulty sitting down to study, follow the suggestions above to motivate you to do what you have to do.

from "Study Skills Articles and Study Tips, Improve Study Habits, Teaching Tips." Study Skills Articles and Study Tips, Improve Study Habits, Teaching Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://www.how-to-study.com/>.

Next, for each of the following sentences, choose the coordinate conjunction that makes the most sense.

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Punctuation with Coordinate Conjunctions

First, read the following excerpt about note-taking from the Virginia Tech website.

Note taking and in-class skills

Adequate notes are a necessary adjunct to efficient study and learning in college. Think over the following suggestions and improve your note- taking system where needed.

Listen actively - if possible think before you write - but don't get behind.

Be open minded about points you disagree on. Don't let arguing interfere with your note-taking.

Raise questions if appropriate.

Develop and use a standard method of note-taking including punctuation, abbreviations, margins, etc.

Take and keep notes in a large notebook. The only merit to a small notebook is ease of carrying and that is not your main objective. A large notebook allows you to adequately indent and use an outline form.

Leave a few spaces blank as you move from one point to the next so that you can fill in additional points later if necessary. Your objective is to take helpful notes, not to save paper.

Do not try to take down everything that the lecturer says. It is impossible in the first place and unnecessary in the second place because not everything is of equal importance. Spend more time listening and attempt to take down the main points. If you are writing as fast as you can, you cannot be as discriminating a listener. There may be some times, however, when it is more important to write than to think.

Listen for cues as to important points, transition form one point to the next, repetition of points for emphasis, changes in voice inflections, enumeration of a series of points, etc.

Many lecturers attempt to present a few major points and several minor points in a lecture. The rest is explanatory material and samples. Try to see the main points and do not get lost in a barrage of minor points which do not seem related to each other. The relationship is there if you will listen for it. Be alert to cues about what the professor thinks is important.

from "Note Taking and In-class Skills." Note Taking. Virginia Tech, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/notetake.html>.

Next, determine if the following sentences are punctuated correctly.

A comma is required before a coordinate conjunction when it joins two independent clauses to form a compound sentence. Each clause must have a subject and verb and express a complete thought in order to be independent. Hint: The examples may or may not be compound sentences.

More Practice: Compound Sentences with Semicolons and Conjunctive Adverbs

Choosing Conjunctive Adverbs

First, review the following excerpt about strategies for test-taking and avoiding test anxiety from Wikipedia.

Be prepared — study in advance. Researchers advise studying a week or two in advance.[23] Also, practicing test questions in a similar environment has shown to be beneficial.
Be organized — organize that material that will be tested on. Make lists of the things to study or accomplish and set certain dates for these to be done. Estimate how long it will take, acquire what will help while studying, rank them in order of importance, and complete them.
Develop good test taking skills — read the questions thoroughly, answers the simple ones first and then go back to complete the more difficult ones.
Stay focused — concentrate on the test, not the other students. Do not talk to other students about the material on the test beforehand.
Relax — practice relaxation techniques, this can invigorate the body and help you focus on the exam.[23] Remove any outside pressure.
Stay Healthy — get enough sleep the night before, eat healthy, and exercise. It is recommended to get more than 6 hours of sleep. Without enough sleep one can experience a sleep deficiency.
Avoid foods high in sugar- Candy and other sweets may aggravate your condition
Visit a counseling center
Visualize — visualize yourself taking the test and doing well on it. By doing this not only are you helping yourself experience it but it has also been shown to help you remember facts. You can create detailed scenarios that involve the information that you are trying to remember.
Re-frame thinking — psychologist and educators believe the anxiety arrives from students asking themselves questions like "what if I fail?" or "what if I'm not good enough?". By changing students thoughts to "I can do it" and "I am good enough" is one way to remove negative thinking and reduce anxiety.

During a Test

If possible, sit in a location in which distractions will be minimal
Perform a memory download by writing down essential points, names, definitions, formulas, dates, and memory clues
Before beginning, read through the entire test and begin with the questions you feel are the least difficult
Budget your time, according to the time allotted, the mark value of the questions and their level of difficulty
If you draw a blank, skip the question and come back to it later
Remember there is no reward for finishing first; take your time!
Expect some anxiety. Anxiety is a reminder that you want to do well on the test. It can also provide energy; just keep it at a manageable level.

from "Test Anxiety." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.

Next, choose the appropriate conjunctive adverb for each of the following sentences.

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Punctuation with Semicolons and Conjunctive Adverbs

First, read the following excerpt about time management from Wikipedia.

Time management is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity. Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals complying with a due date. This set encompasses a wide scope of activities, and these include planning, allocating, setting goals, delegation, analysis of time spent, monitoring, organizing, scheduling, and prioritizing. Initially, time management referred to just business or work activities, but eventually the term broadened to include personal activities as well. A time management system is a designed combination of processes, tools, techniques, and methods. Usually time management is a necessity in any project development as it determines the project completion time and scope.

A technique that has been used in business management for a long time is the categorization of large data into groups. These groups are often marked A, B, and C—hence the name. Activities are ranked upon these general criteria:

A - Tasks that are perceived as being urgent and important,

B - Tasks that are important but not urgent,

C - Tasks that are neither urgent nor important.

Each group is then rank-ordered in priority. To further refine priority, some individuals choose to then force-rank all "B" items as either "A" or "C".

from "Time Management." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.

Next, determine if the following sentences are punctuated correctly.

Hint: The examples may or may not be compound sentences.

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Review Compound Sentences

Watch this animation to review compound sentences.

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