What is a Compound Sentence? – Usage & Examples

Dec 14, 2022

Compound Sentence

As learned in sentence construction, a compound sentence has two or more separate clauses connected by a semicolon and coordinating conjunction. A compound sentence comprises two or more basic phrases joined together. There are no dependent clauses in a compound sentence.

Examples of Compound Sentences are:

I like tea. John likes coffee. → I like tea, and John likes coffee.
Sara went to the office. David went to the birthday party. I went to the market. → Sara went to the office, but David went to the birthday party, and I went to the market.
Our scooter broke down. We came a little late. → Our scooter broke down; we came a little late.

So now that you know what a compound sentence is, let’s go further in detail.

Connecting Coordinating Conjunctions with Compound Sentences

We often connect independent clauses with one of the seven coordinating conjunctions. The phrase coordinating conjunction may sound sophisticated, yet there are only seven of them, and they are all one-syllable words:

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet So— Use the mnemonic to help you remember them- FANBOYS.
In that order, the most prevalent coordinating conjunctions are but, and, and or. Except when the sentences are short, a comma (,) must occur before the coordinating conjunction.

● The movie show was sold out, so we watched a movie on the television.
● I’ll have a week in Italy, or I’ll go to Rome for three days.
● I really need a break, but I don’t have the money, and I don’t have the time.
● She’s crazy! She doesn’t like the house, yet she bought it anyway.
● It’s past 11 pm, and she still hasn’t arrived.

And
The ‘and’ conjunction is the most commonly used. It has a variety of applications.
We use ‘and’ to link two clauses of equal importance, such as London in England and Rome in Italy.
When the second sentence occurs after the first, we use ‘and’ to connect the two clauses, as in There was a loud bang, and the lights went out.
When the second clause is a consequence of the first, we use ‘and’ to link them, as in He went to bed early, and the next day he felt better.

But
The ‘but’ conjunction is used to introduce a sentence that contrasts with the preceding word, as in Mary sprinted quickly, but she couldn’t catch Rick.
Or
We use the ‘or’ conjunction to connect two alternative clauses, such as: Will Mary go or will Rick go?

Nor
When the first sentence contains a negative such as neither or never, we employ the ‘nor’ conjunction to link two alternative clauses. In this scenario, both sentences are false or do not occur, as in Mary never wrote the letter or called him. (Note the subject and auxiliary inversion: did she.)

For
We employ the ‘for’ conjunction (which means “because”) to combine two sentences when the second clause provides the reason for the first, as in: He felt chilly because it was snowing.

Yet
The conjunction ‘yet’ is similar to the conjunction but. It means something like ‘but’ at the same time; but nevertheless; but in spite of this. There is a contrast between the clauses, as but, for example, I’ve known him for a long time, but I’ve never really understood him.

So
The ‘so’ conjunction indicates “as a result of” or “for this reason.” We use ‘so’ to connect two sentences when the first clause is the cause for the second, as in: She was not feeling alright, so she went to the doctor.

Using Semicolons to Connect Compound Sentences

Sometimes, we join independent clauses with a semicolon (;).

She hardly studied; she failed her exams.
The entire city was flooded; people used boats.
We always shop at the mall; it’s got everything in one place.
Call us next month; it should be in then.
You can pay online; we accept all major credit cards.

Using Conjunctive Adverbs to Connect Compound Sentences

We can also link independent clauses using words and phrases like moreover, nevertheless, at the very least (conjunctive adverbs). The conjunctive adverb must be preceded by a semicolon (;) and followed by a comma(,).

Look at these examples:

Johnny loves Marie; however, Marie doesn’t love Johnny.
Dessert is not costly; moreover, it’s very delicious.
What she did was incredible; in fact, I could barely accept it.
Moana is my favorite film; however, I’ve only seen it once.
She turned herself in to the police; otherwise, they would have arrested her.

What Is the Distinction Between a Compound and a Complex Sentence?

What is a compound sentence? As previously stated, it contains at least two separate clauses. A complicated sentence has at least one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. “Ella got a new dog, and she’s going to bring it on Saturday,” for example, is a compound phrase since “Ella got a new dog” and “she’s going to bring it on Saturday” are separate clauses.

“Before she went to the lake, Ella acquired a new dog,” for example, is a complicated phrase because “before she went to the lake” is a dependent clause, therefore the sentence only includes one independent clause, rather than two.

What Is the Meaning of a Compound-Complex Sentence?

What happens when there are more than two clauses in a sentence? A compound-complex sentence includes at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. (You may have noticed that the conditions for a compound-complex sentence are just the requirements for a compound sentence and a complicated sentence combined.) Here are some instances of compound-complex sentences. It’s worth noting that each has at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause. A few compound-complex sentence examples are:

“I laughed when she fell in the mud, but then I felt sorry for her.”
“Whenever we get coffee, he shows up late, and it’s really starting to bother me.”
“The hotel is so expensive; I’ll have to save up money before we can go.”

Synopsis of Compound Sentences

A compound sentence is one that has at least two independent clauses but no dependent clauses. Looking at examples of compound sentences will help you grasp them, and below are the prerequisites for each basic sentence type:

One independent clause in a simple phrase
A compound sentence consists of at least two independent clauses and no dependent clauses.
Complex sentence: at least one independent clause and one dependent clause
A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause.

Compound phrases may add richness and color to your writing. While young writers learn to put basic phrases together initially, combining them in complex sentences makes paragraphs more intriguing.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are compound sentences 10 examples?

A compound sentence is made up of two or more simple sentences joined with a conjunction.

Nancy was out of oil, so she went to the grocery store.
I want to shed weight, yet I eat butter every day.
Prince is very smart, and he knows it.
They wanted to go to Paris, but I wanted to see Rome.
They spoke to him in English, but he responded in Hindi
I saw David yesterday but he did not see me.
She is popular, yet she is very modest.
I spent all my savings, so I cannot go to Germany this spring.
We went to the shopping mall; however, we only went window shopping.
The men sang and the women danced.

2. Does a compound sentence need conjunction?

A compound sentence connects two independent clauses, usually with a coordinating conjunction like, and, or, but. They combine two or more self-sufficient and related sentences into a single, unified one. However, compound sentences also use a semi-colon to connect two clauses, in which case conjunction is not required.

3. How do you combine compound sentences?

There are three methods of forming compound sentences. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to join two or more independent clauses into a compound sentence. Another way is the use of a semi colon that creates a stop between two independent clauses. A semi-colon with a transitional expression makes a smoother connection than just a semi-colon.

4. How do you identify a compound sentence?

A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction that connects words, phrases, or clauses recognised as parallel in structure.

5. What is a compound subject and a compound object?

A compound subject is a subject with two or more simple subjects. When the subject of a sentence consists of two or more elements, it is a compound subject. An object of a sentence is compound if it describes two or more things or people. In other words, it is where two or more objects receive the same action of the verb.