Compound Sentence

Compound sentence meaning

A compound sentence is a sentence that consists of two or more independent clauses. This is easy to remember, as the word 'compound' means something composed of two or more elements!

We categorise sentence types based on the number and type of clauses they contain. In the case of compound sentences, they:

• Are made up of two or more independent clauses

• Do not contain any dependent clauses

• Join together independent clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon (;).

First, we're going to look at how compound sentences are formed and provide some examples. Then, we will use this information to identify compound sentences and distinguish them from other kinds of sentences.

Compound sentence structure

A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses joined together by a comma and a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon (;). Compound sentences do not contain any dependent clauses. Below, we can see the structure of a compound sentence:

Independent clause + connective (comma and a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon) + independent clause

In the above example, the two independent clauses are 'I like Italian food' and 'My partner likes Chinese food.' Both clauses make sense as standalone sentences.

Fig 1. I love Chinese food, and I'm not afraid to show it!

Joining independent clauses in compound sentences

As previously mentioned, compound sentences are formed by joining two independent clauses together. It's very easy to make a mistake here, so let's try and clear up any confusion and address the common mistakes that are made when creating compound sentences.

First, make sure you are joining two independent clauses. Independent clauses can be easily confused with dependent clauses or with phrases.

An independent clause must:

• Include a subject and a verb. They can also include an object and/or a modifier.

• Work on their own. Unlike dependent clauses, they don't rely on another clause to make sense.

Ask yourself, 'can these clauses work as sentences on their own?' Compound sentences are generally made by joining two or more simple sentences together.

If we replace the full stop that separates the sentences with a comma and a coordinating conjunction, these two sentences become one compound sentence:

Each clause must have a subject and a verb; otherwise, it is not a compound sentence. In the above compound sentence, you can see two subjects (I and I ) and two verbs (walking and was).

The following example is not a compound sentence as it only contains one subject.

However, if we add a subject and use the appropriate connectives, we can form a compound sentence like so;

Coordinating conjunctions in compound sentences

You'd heard us say a few times now that compound sentences are formed by joining two independent clauses together with coordinating conjunctions but what exactly are they?

Coordinating conjunctions are joining words that join clauses together that have equal weight, i.e. two independent clauses rather than an independent and a dependent clause. An easy way to remember coordinating conjunctions is with the mnemonic FANBOYS.

• For

• And

• Nor

• But

• Or

• Yet

• So

Compound sentences and punctuation

Using the correct punctuation is an important part of forming compound sentences. There are two correct ways to use punctuation;

• A comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (e.g. Peter has a bike, and Ana has a scooter.)
• A semicolon without a coordinating conjunction (e.g. Peter has a bike; Ana has a scooter.)

Fig 2. Be careful with punctuation when forming compounding sentences

Examples of Compound Sentences

Here are some examples of compound sentences. Try to spot the subjects, verbs, and links between each one.

Below, we have broken each sentence down. The subjects are in bold, the verbs are in blue, and the links are in red.

Why are compound sentences used?

We use compound sentences in both spoken and written English. They are used to link independent ideas together. By having multiple independent clauses in the same sentence, we can link ideas that would have otherwise been separated.

Furthermore, by combining what would otherwise be lots of simple sentences in one text, compound sentences can make writing more interesting.

Here is an example passage that only uses simple sentences:

Notice how, with all the sentences being simple, the passage begins to feel boring and repetitive. Now, here's the same passage again but with compound sentences:

By linking the simple sentences together and making them into compound ones, the short passage has become much easier to read and doesn't seem as dull!

How to identify a compound sentence

We can identify compound sentences by considering the type and amount of clauses in that sentence.

• Simple sentences only contain one independent clause.

• Compound sentences contain two (or more) independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

• Complex sentences contain one independent clause and one (or more) dependent clause joined by a subordinating conjunction.

• Compound-complex sentences contain at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

There are always multiple clauses in compound sentences, and these clauses are always independent. So, if you are trying to identify whether a sentence is a compound sentence - check for multiple independent clauses!