Compound Sentences

A compound sentence is a sentence that contains at least two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Independent clauses are groups of words that can stand alone as complete sentences because they express a complete thought.

A coordinating conjunction is a word that connects two independent clauses. Common coordinating conjunctions include 'for', 'and', 'nor', 'but', 'or', 'yet', and 'so'.

The comma goes before the coordinating conjunction that joins the two independent clauses.

The purpose of using a comma in a compound sentence is to clarify the separation between the two independent clauses.

I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.

The word 'for' is a coordinating conjunction that explains the reason for the first independent clause.

A simple sentence contains only one independent clause, while a compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses.

A common mistake is to omit the comma before the coordinating conjunction when joining two independent clauses.

Examples of coordinating conjunctions include: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.