Commas in Compound Sentences
Commas in Compound Sentences
Commas in Compound Sentences
Play the quick video lesson HERE and click the upper left back arrow to return to this lesson.
Common Core Language Standard 2
Comma rules can be tricky. We do have disagreement about using them in compound sentences. Some old school English-language arts teachers insist that a comma followed by a conjunction is always required to join to independent clauses. Most professional writers ignore this rule. After all, it just seems awkward adding the comma in the short sentence: “I’ll walk, and I’ll run.” Most style manuals today apply this rule differently for short and long sentences.
Today’s mechanics lesson is on commas in compound sentences. Remember that a compound sentence has two or more independent clauses. An independent clause is part of a sentence that has a noun and verb expressing a complete thought. Coordinating conjunctions can be used to join the independent clauses.
Now let’s read the mechanics lesson and study the examples.
Place a comma before the coordinating conjunction(s) to join independent clauses if one or both of the independent clauses is long. The memory trick FANBOYS (For-And-Nor-But-Or-Yet-So) may help you remember the common two or three-letter coordinating conjunctions. Example: My parents used to eat plenty of fresh fish, and they also ate rice.
Example: My parents used to eat plenty of fresh fish, and they also ate rice.
Now circle or highlight what is right and revise what is wrong according to mechanics lesson.
Practice: I sang my loudest, yet the huge crowd still couldn’t hear me or my music. They were screaming, so they couldn’t listen.
Let’s check the Practice Answers.
Mechanics Practice Answers: I sang my loudest, yet the huge crowd still couldn’t hear me or my music. They were screaming so they couldn’t listen.
Now let’s apply what we have learned.
Writing Application: Write your own sentence using a compound sentence with two long independent clauses.
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