“Nothing happened. The fish just moved away slowly and the old man could not raise him an inch. His line was strong and made for heavy fish and he held it against his hack until it was so taut that beads of water were jumping from it. Then it began to make a slow hissing sound in the water and he still held it, bracing himself against the thwart and leaning back against the pull. The boat began to move slowly off toward the north-west. The fish moved steadily and they travelled slowly on the calm water. The other baits were still in the water but there was nothing to be done.” (Hemingway, 1998a)
A Compound sentence has two or more independent clauses (2 + 0). The independent clause must have a subject, verb, and often verb compliment to express a complete thought. Independent clauses can be joined by coordinating, adverbial, or correlative conjunctions or with a proper punctuation mark.
e.g. Everything about him was old except his eyes, and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated. (Hemingway,1951)
4 Ways to Make a Compound Sentence
1. By using coordinating conjunctions: FANBOYS – for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
e.g. Tom is despondent, but he pretends to be cheerful.
2. By using adverbial conjunctions (transitions), e.g. however, moreover, therefore, etc.
e.g. Tom had a party last night; therefore, he has failed a test.
3. By using correlative conjunctions (conjunctions that have two parts), e.g. either…or, both…and, not only…but also.
e.g. Either we should give students a small break, or we should let them go home.
4. By using punctuation signs, e.g. “;’ or “-“.
e.g. Tom had a party last night; he has failed a test today.
Comma Rules
REMEMBER that commas do not join clauses. On the opposite, commas work as scissors to separate clauses and ideas! Use conjunctions to join clauses!
1. Always place a comma after the first independent clause before a coordinating conjunction – FANBOYS – when joining independent clauses.
e.g. Tom is despondent, or at least he looks that way.
2. Always place a comma after the first independent clause before a correlative conjunction when joining independent clauses.
e.g. Whether teachers are happy or they are sad, all are dedicated to students.
3. Always place a semicolon after the first independent clause and a comma after a transition when joining clauses.
e.g. Tom had a party last night; however, he has passed the test easily.