Combining Sentences

Sentence Combining Practice

​There are 3 main methods used to combine sentences

• Coordinate sentences when you want to equally emphasize the sentences 

• Subordinate sentences when you want to emphasize one sentence over another. 

• Embed words, phrases and/or sentences to integrate ideas within sentences. 

​To combine basic or simple sentences, there are 3 main methods used 

I. Coordinate sentences when you want to equally emphasize the sentences.
Coordination means to CONNECT two or more sentences.

Two ways to coordinate sentences:  

1. Join sentences using a comma and conjunction (For, And, Nor, But, Or, 

    Yet, So)
Example: I like reading poetry, but I don’t always understand it.

2. Combine related sentences using a semi-colon a ;

  Example: I like reading poetry; I don’t always understand it.

Multiple Choice

Coordinate the following sentences by using one of the above methods.

Schools educate. Better funding should be given to schools. 

• Schools educate, so better funding should be given to schools.

• Schools educate, better funding should be given to schools.

• Schools educate better funding should be given to schools.

Multiple Choice

Coordinate the following sentence:

Students learn best in environments with quality materials and instructors. 

    Increased funding is difficult for schools to secure. 

• Students learn best in environments with quality materials and instructors, increased funding is difficult for schools to secure. 

  
  

• Students learn best in environments with quality materials and instructors; however, increased funding is difficult for schools to secure. 

  
  

• Students learn best in environments with quality materials and instructors , and Increased funding is difficult for schools to secure. 

  
  

Multiple Choice

Better prepared students produce smarter citizens. More educated citizens 

     raise the overall quality of a society. 

• Better prepared students produce smarter citizens. More educated citizens 

       raise the overall quality of a society. 

  
  

• Better prepared students produce smarter citizens. More educated citizens 

       raise the overall quality of a society. 

  
  

• Better prepared students produce smarter citizens; more educated citizens 

       raise the overall quality of a society. 

II. Subordinate sentences when you want to emphasize one sentence over another.

​	​
​Contrast/Concession  -	​although, while, even though, even if, whereas, though
​Cause	​because, since
​Effect/Result	​so that, in that, in order that
​Condition	​  if, unless, provided that
​Time	​after, before, as soon as, since, when, while, until, as

Example:

Jenson spent a year traveling the world. He had been fired from his job.

When you combine these two sentences using a subordinator, the clause that begins with the subordinator is a dependent clause and is given less emphasis than the independent clause.

Example: Because Jenson got fired from his job, he spent a year traveling the world. 
OR
Jenson spent a year traveling the world because he got fired from his job.

Punctuation Note: When a subordinator introduces a sentence, put a comma after the first clause. 

Multiple Choice

Subordinate the following sentences by using one of the above methods. 

Schools educate. Better funding should be given to schools. 

• Because schools educate; better funding should be given to schools. 

  
  

• Because schools educate, better funding should be given to schools. 

  
  

• Schools educate, because better funding should be given to schools. 

  
  

• Better funding should be given to schools, schools educate. 

Multiple Choice

Students learn best in environments with quality materials and instructors. 

     Increased funding is difficult for schools to secure.

• Students learn best in environments with quality materials and instructors so that increased funding is difficult for schools to secure.

  
  

• Although students learn best in environments with quality materials and instructors increased funding is difficult for schools to secure.

  
  

• Although students learn best in environments with quality materials and instructors, increased funding is difficult for schools to secure.

  
  

Multiple Choice

We are going to have a better educated populace. State funding priorities are 

    adjusted to provide larger budgets for school. 

• We are going to have a better educated populace when state funding priorities are 

      adjusted to provide larger budgets for school. 

  
  

• We are going to have a better educated populace, when state funding priorities are 

      adjusted to provide larger budgets for school. 

  
  

• We are going to have a better educated populace; when state funding priorities are 

      adjusted to provide larger budgets for school. 

  
  

III. Embed words, phrases and/or sentences to integrate ideas within sentences. 

Relative-Pronoun Clause

These clauses, which begin with who, which, that, whose, or whom, are dependent clauses. 

Example: Because of the cutbacks in funds to public education, the new school will not be built until 2028. The new school will be home to six hundred students. 

Combined: Because of the cutbacks in funds to public education, the new school, which will be home to six hundred students, will not be built until 2028. 

In the combined sentence, the relative pronoun clause, which will be home to six hundred students, describes the new school. 

Appositives or noun phrases – rename or define another noun. 

Example: Mary is a teacher at Malverne Elementary School. She is also an avid jogger. 

Combined: Mary, an avid jogger, is a teacher at Malverne Elementary School. 

In the above combined sentence, the noun phrase, an avid jogger, is an appositive that describes Mary’s hobby. 

Multiple Choice

Combine each grouping of sentences into one sentence.

 Pancho came to the party. He is Jose’s cousin. He graduated from Stanford. He 

    was top in his class. 

• Pancho Jose’s cousin who graduated from Stanford top of his class, came to the party.

  
  

• Pancho, Jose’s cousin who graduated from Stanford top of his class, came to the party.

  
  

• Pancho, Jose’s cousin, who graduated from Stanford top of his class, came to the party.

  
  

Multiple Choice

The clown was juggling for twelve hours in the circus tent. The clown was 

     exhausted. The circus tent was crowded. He was juggling next to the live 

     animals acts. The animals smelled badly. 

• The exhausted clown, was juggling for twelve hours in the crowded circus tent next to the live animal acts that smelled badly. 

  
  

• The exhausted clown was juggling for twelve hours in the crowded circus tent, next to the live animal acts that smelled badly. 

  
  

• The exhausted clown was juggling for twelve hours in the crowded circus tent next to the live animal acts that smelled badly.