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What is a Compound Sentence?

Brendan McGuigan
Brendan McGuigan

A compound sentence is a sentence which has two independent clauses linked together. A compound sentence has to have the two clauses linked together by a conjunction of some sort. This may take the form of a correlative conjunction, a coordinating conjunction, or a semicolon functioning as a conjunction. A comma is often used to help offset the two independent clauses as well, although it is not usually needed grammatically.

One can contrast the compound sentence with both the simple sentence and the complex sentence. A simple sentence is a sentence in which there is a subject and a predicate, and in which a complete thought is expressed, allowing it to stand alone. For example, We run outside every day. is a simple sentence, as is The moon is white. A complex sentence, on the other hand, includes both an independent clause and a dependent clause. For example, the sentence, When stars fall, I like to make wishes. is a complex sentence, with stars fall the dependent clause, and I like to make wishes the independent clause.

"The moon is full, and the stars shine brightly," is an example of a compound sentence, as it combines to independent clauses.
"The moon is full, and the stars shine brightly," is an example of a compound sentence, as it combines to independent clauses.

To form a compound sentence, you take two independent clauses, which could serve as simple sentences by themselves, and link them with a conjunction. The most common type of conjunction used is the coordinating conjunction. There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. These seven can be easily remembered by the mnemonic FANBOYS, with each letter representing the first letter of each coordinator.

"Jane likes to go shopping, and Harvey learned how to earn more money," is an example of a compound sentence.
"Jane likes to go shopping, and Harvey learned how to earn more money," is an example of a compound sentence.

For example, we can take two simple sentences: Jane likes to watch football. and Bob learned to knit. We can then connect them with a coordinating conjunction to create a compound sentence like: Jane likes to watch football, and Bob learned to knit. or Jane likes to watch football, so Bob learned to knit. The coordinating conjunction we use determines the meaning of our compound sentence, and of course not all coordinators work for all independent clauses, but all independent clauses need to have at least one conjunction to be joined together.

"The teacher is smiling, and the student raises his hand," is an example of a compound sentence.
"The teacher is smiling, and the student raises his hand," is an example of a compound sentence.

A compound sentence can also use a pairing of words that help each other out, known as correlative conjunctions. There are four common pairings of correlative conjunctions: both and and, not only and but also, either and or, and neither and nor. For example, we can take the independent clauses: The moon is full. and The stars are out. We can then join them together using one of our pairings to get: Both the moon is full, and the stars are out. or Neither the moon is full, nor the stars are out.

Conjunctions are grammatical items that bind two sentence parts.
Conjunctions are grammatical items that bind two sentence parts.

A semicolon can also act as a conjunction to form a compound sentence. For example, we can take the two independent clauses we just used, and join them together with a semicolon to form: The moon is full; the stars are out. In this way we link the two clauses more closely than if we were to have them as fully independent simple sentences, but we don’t link them more explicitly than that.

Discussion Comments

anon295916

I need a compound sentence using the word football and using two possessive nouns.

anon292232

Can someone give me a example of a compound sentence for a maid?

anon245779

Example: Tommy wanted to go to the store, but he had to finish cleaning the house.

The comma separates the sentences into phrases:

Tommy wanted to go to the store.

He had to finish cleaning the house.

Each phrase has a noun and a verb.

That means that a compound sentence must have a verb and a noun on each side of the comma (if there is one).

Ollie204

Thanks for all of the help guys. This website is really good.

anon139158

complex sentence: 1)The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.

2)The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.

compound sentence: 1)I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.

2)Enrique played football, so Maria went shopping.

anon130705

Examples: I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English. Or: Shannon played football, for Maria went shopping. Compound sentences always use the words: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. The beginning letter of each of these words spell: "Fanboy!" To remember easily.

anon80626

Uses an independent clause.

anon72641

no no no a compound sentence is this: i love the color pink, but my friends like purple. Or: I don't like to study math, although i have to do it. You have to combine it with a conjunction like but, and, although, the, meanwhile, well and more.

anon54601

OK i get what a compound sentence is, but can you please give some examples to make sure i really get it? Thank you!

anon49321

Is this a coupound sentence? My sister and I think my brother is our maid.

anon40122

please give more examples of the complex and compound sentences.

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    • "The moon is full, and the stars shine brightly," is an example of a compound sentence, as it combines to independent clauses.
      By: tomreichner
      "The moon is full, and the stars shine brightly," is an example of a compound sentence, as it combines to independent clauses.
    • "Jane likes to go shopping, and Harvey learned how to earn more money," is an example of a compound sentence.
      By: Yuriy Shevtsov
      "Jane likes to go shopping, and Harvey learned how to earn more money," is an example of a compound sentence.
    • "The teacher is smiling, and the student raises his hand," is an example of a compound sentence.
      By: Monkey Business
      "The teacher is smiling, and the student raises his hand," is an example of a compound sentence.
    • Conjunctions are grammatical items that bind two sentence parts.
      By: Ella
      Conjunctions are grammatical items that bind two sentence parts.