Chapter 2 I Listing-Order Paragraphs 53

PART 2 I Sentence Structure

Compound In Chapter 1, you learned about simple sentences. Another kind of sentence is a
Sentences compound sentence.

A compound sentence is two simple sentences connected by a

comma and a coordinating conjunction.

This is the basic formula for a compound sentence:

Simple sentence COORDINATING simple sentence.

CONJUNCTION

These are compound sentences:

Coordinating
Simple Sentence Conjunction Simple Sentence
My family goes camping every summer, and we usually have fun.
Last year we went camping at Blue Lake, but we had a terrible time.
Next year we will go to the beach, or perhaps we will stay at home.
We want to buy a house soon, so we need to save money.

Command sentences can also be compound. Remember that the subject "you" is
not expressed in commands.
{¥ffi:f) Come visit us again soon, and ~bring your family with you.
{¥ffi:f) Have a good time, but ~don't stay out too late.

Here are three important points to know about compound sentences:

1. A comma and a coordinating conjunction connect the two halves of a

compound sentence.
2. There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English: for, and, nor, but,
or, yet, and so. Remember them by the phrase "fan boys." In this book,
you will practice four of them: and, but, or, and so.
3. Don't confuse a compound sentence with a simple sentence that has
a compound verb. The first sentence in each of the following pairs ·
of sentences is simple and doesn't need a comma. The second one
is compound and requires a comma.

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 54 First Steps in Academic Writing
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"Formulas"
Simple sentence with My family goes camping every svv
compound verb summer and usually has fun.

Compound sentence My family goes camping every S V, and S V

summer, and we usually have fun.

Simple sentence with Last year we went camping but svv

compound verb had a terrible time.

Compound sentence Last year we went camping, but everyone S V, butS V

had a terrible time.

Simple sentence with Next year we will go to the beach or svv

compound verb perhaps stay at home.

Compound sentence Next year we will go to the beach, or S V, or S V

perhaps we will stay at home.

PRI\.CTICE 8 A. Identify simple and compound sentences.

s;mple versus Step 1 Analyze each sentence in the following paragraphs. Underline the
Compound subjects with one line and the verbs with two lines.
Sentences
Step 2 Circle coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so) that separate two
simple sentences.
Step 3 Write simple or compound in the space to the left of each sentence, and
write the formula for each: SV, and SV, SVV, or SSV, and so on.
Step 4 Add a comma to compound sentences.

simple sv 1. The summers were hot and humid in my

childhood hometown.
compound · SV so SSV 2. Every evening i! was too hot to sleep, so .rm:.
sisters and I played outside until dark.
3. Our parents sat in chairs on the grass and
watched us play our children's games.
4. We played games such as hide-and-seek and
tag or we just sat on the grass and told
stories.
5. We also caught fireflies. 1
6. We put the fireflies into a glass jar and our father
punched air holes in the metal lid.

1
fireflies: insects with tails that shine in the dark

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 Chapter 2 I listing-Order Paragraphs 55

7. My sisters were afraid of most bugs but they

loved fireflies.
8. We usually went to bed at nine o'clock but
we stayed up until ten on really warm evenings.
9. Around ten o'clock our mother and father told
us to come inside.
l 0. "Come inside now but leave the fireflies
outside, please," our mother always said.

B. Identify simple and compound sentences in a paragraph.

Step 1 Analyze each sentence in the following paragraph. Underline the
subjects with one line and the verbs with two lines.
Step 2 Write simple or compound in the numbered spaces.
Step 3 Then write the formula for each sentence.
Step 4 Add commas wherever they are needed. (You should add seven
commas.)
Teenagers
1
Teenagers find many ways to drive their parents crazy. 2 First, they dye
their hair purple, or they shave their heads bald. 2 3 They also tattoo their skin
and wear rings in their noses. 4 ln addition they spend hours at the shopping
mall and on the phone. 5They have time to watch TV but they don't have time
(continued on next page)

2
bald: no hair at all

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·..-·:.. 56 First Steps in Academic Writing _
to do their homework. 6Aiso they're always too busy to clean up 1 their rooms
but they're never too busy to clean ouf the refrigerator by eating everything
in it. 7 Finally they are old enough to drive but too young to pay for gas. 8They
are usually broke' so they always return the family car with an empty gas
tank. 9 lt's hard to be a teenager but it's even harder to be the parent of one.
l. simele sv 6.
2. comeound SV or SV 7.

3. 8.
4. 9.
5.

Coordinating Conjunctions: and, but, or, so

In compound sentences, and, but, or, and so have these meanings:

And connects two sentences with similar ideas. The sentences can be positive or
negative.
My roommate is an art student, and her boyfriend plays in a rock band.
She doesn't like rock music, and he doesn't like art.

Remember to use or, not and; in a negative simple sentence. To refresh your
memory, turn back to Chapter 1, page 23.
He doesn't like art or classical music.

But connects two sentences with contrasting or opposite ideas.

She likes classical music, but she doesn't like rock.
She likes country music, but he hates it.

Or connects two sentences that express alternatives or choices.

Every Friday night, they go to a classical concert, or they visit an art
gallery.
Every Saturday night, he practices with his band, or they go to hear
a rock concert.

1
clean up: make clean and neat by removing things that make it look messy
2
clean out: make clean and neat by removing things; the slang expression clean out can mean remm·~
everything as in The robbers cleaned o ur the cash drau ·er.
3
broke: having no money

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So connects a reason and a result.

Reason Result
They both like jazz, so they go to jazz concerts together.
He works a lot, so they don 't go out very often.

PRJ\CTICE 9 Fill in the blanks with one of these four coordinating conjunctions: and, but,
01; so. You may want to i'eview the use of and, but, or, and so in simple
-\nd, but, or,
sentences on page 53 before you do this exercise.
and so in
Simple and
Compound 1. The waitress said, "Today we have two specials: fried chicken and
Sentences meatloaf."~

2. I ordered meatloaf, _ _ my friend ordered fried chicken.

3. After an hour, the waitress came back to our table and said, "I made
a mistake. We don ' t have chicken meatloaf."
4. I wanted to leave the restaurant immediately, _ _ my friend wanted
to stay.
5. He ordered a hamburger _ _ french fries, _ _ I didn't order anything.
6. My new neighbors are vegetarians, _ _ they don't eat meat.
7. They don't eat meat _ _ chicken, _ _ sometimes they eat a little fish.
8. I wanted to be friendly, _ _ I invited them to my house for dinner.
9. They came _ _ brought their young son.
10. He is just a baby, _ _ he can't talk yet.
11. They don't drink coffee _ _ tea, _ _ I served lemonade with our
meal.
12. For dessert, I offered them a choice of chocolate cake _ _ apple pie.
13. The husband wanted both cake and pie, _ _ the wife didn'twant either.

PRJ\CTICE 10 A. Write compound sentences.

Writing Step 1 Connect the two simple sentences in each pair to make a compound
Compound sentence. Connect them with and, but, or, or so-whichever best fits
Sentences the meaning. There may be more than one possible choice.
Step 2 Add a comma to each sentence.

1. Canada has two official languages. Everything is printed in both

English and French.
Canada has two official languages. so everything is printed in both
English and French.
(continued on next page)
4 meatloaf: dish made from ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, and spices and baked in a pan like a loaf of bread

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 58 First Steps in Academic Writing
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2. There are several hundred languages in the world. Not all of them
have a written form.

3. Chinese is spoken by more people. English is spoken in more countries.

4. Russian is the third most spoken language in the world. Spanish

is the fourth.

5. There are about one million words in English. Most people use only
about ten thousand of them.

6. Chinese has many different dialects. 1 Chinese people cannot always

understand each other.

7. French used to be the. language of international diplomacy. Now it is

English.

8. International companies are growing. They will soon need more

bilingual workers.

9. Young people should know a second language. They will be at

a disadvantage in the international job market.

1
dialects: variations of the standard language

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Chapter 2 I listing-Order Paragraphs 59 ___..;•,,i

B. Make compound sentences by adding a second simple sentence to each item.

l. My brother and I look like twins, but our personalities are very different .

2. We are both medium tall , a n d - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' - - - - - -

3. He is an extrovert," but ___________________

4. I am younger, so ______________________

5. Our mother used to tell us, "Stop fighting, or _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

6. We fought a lot as children, but now _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

7. We married two sisters, so - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two Sentence Two sentence erTors that writers sometimes make are run-ons and comma splices.
Errors: These mistakes happen most often when the two sentences are related in meaning.
Run-ons • A run-on is two simple sentences incorrectly joined with no
and Comma coordinating conjunction and no comma.
Splices
WRONG: My roommate wants to win the Tour de France someday
he spends hours riding his bicycle.
WRONG: Write your signature on the line print your name below it.
• A comma splice is two simple sentences incorTectly joined with a
comma alone.
WRONG : My roommate wants to win the Tour de France someday,
he spends hours riding his bicycle.
WRONG: Write your signature on the line, print your name below it.

There are two ways to fix these errors.

1. Separate the sentences with a period.
RIGHT: My roommate wants to win the Tour de France someday.
He spends hours riding his bicycle.
RIGHT: Write your signature on the line. Print your name below it.

2extrove1·t: someone who is active and confident and who enjoys being with other people

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