2.12: Compound Sentences
- Page ID
- 52333
Reading Exercise
Read these sentences about the history of San Diego. Identify the subject and verb in each sentence. How many subjects and verbs does each sentence have?
- Spanish explorers sailed to San Diego in 1542, but the first residents were Kumeyaay people
- In 1821, Mexico won independence from Spain, and San Diego became part of Mexico
- In 1848, the United States won the Mexican-American War, so San Diego became part of the U.S.
Notice the punctuation. Where is the comma?
Answers
- The subjects are "Spanish explorers" and "the first residents," the verbs are "sailed" and "were"
- The subjects are "Mexico" and "San Diego," the verbs are "won" and "became"
- The subjects are "the United States" and "San Diego," the verbs are "won" and "became"
A group of words that has a subject and verb is called a clause. Two or more simple sentences (clauses) may be connected to make one sentence, using a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are also called FANBOYS. The FANBOYS are:
- For
- And
- Nor
- But
- Or
- Yet
- So
When two or more clauses are connected with a FANBOYS, the sentence is called a compound sentence. A compound sentence must have two independent clauses (SV + SV) connected by a FANBOYS. Look at the sentences below. Identify the subjects and verbs. These are not compound sentences...
- The San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park began in 1915
- Every weekend we go to the beach and enjoy the water
Answers
- The subjects are "San Diego Zoo" and "Balboa Park," the verb is "began," this sentence has a compound subject
- The subject is "we," the verbs are "go" and "enjoy," this sentence has a compound verb
Video
Watch this video for another explanation of compound sentences...
Practice Compound Sentences
Write five compound sentences about a place you know well. Label the subjects and verbs (there must be two subjects and two verbs in each sentence). Use the most common FANBOYS: "and," "but," "or," and "so"...