Compound and Complex Sentences

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What is a compound sentence?

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A compound sentence is a sentence that has at least two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (like 'and', 'but', or 'or'). Example: 'I wanted to go skiing, but it was too cold.'

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What is a complex sentence?

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A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Example: 'Although it was cold, we went skiing.'

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Identify the conjunction in the sentence: 'I wanted to go outside, but it was raining.'

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The conjunction is 'but', which connects two independent clauses.

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What are independent clauses?

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Independent clauses are groups of words that can stand alone as a sentence because they express a complete thought. Example: 'I like ice cream.'

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What are dependent clauses?

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Dependent clauses are groups of words that cannot stand alone as a sentence because they do not express a complete thought. Example: 'Because it was raining.'

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Identify the type of sentence: 'We went to the park, and we played soccer.'

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This is a compound sentence because it has two independent clauses joined by 'and'.

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Identify the type of sentence: 'When the sun sets, we will go home.'

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This is a complex sentence because it has one independent clause and one dependent clause.

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What is a coordinating conjunction?

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

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What is a subordinating conjunction?

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A subordinating conjunction is a word that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause. Examples include 'although', 'because', 'since', and 'when'.

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Identify the conjunction in the sentence: 'I will go to the store if it stops raining.'

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The conjunction is 'if', which introduces the dependent clause.