Be a Better Writer--COMPOUND SENTENCES

[tomoral]

Sorry, didn't mean I didn't appreciate what you are all doing here. I do. As I said, I'm a bit slow on all the proper puncts. I meant my muddled brain would try to keep up with the pros.

But I will keep trying to figure it all out, and bless you for all you do to help us all here on Faithwriters.

[glorybee]

Oh gosh, no apology necessary. I just meant that if you have a specific question, I'd be glad to try to clarify for you.

Oooh, that gives me an idea for next week's lesson...

[Come forth]

I'm coming in a bit later here; been very busy and haven't had time to think about all of this.

I think sentence construction, and the difference between compound, complex, simple and plain old confusing sentences are a skillful way to convey emotion and to engage the reader in the story.

Short sentences. Quick and to the point. Powerful punches. Like a quick, sharp storm. They move the story along like wildfire.

Whereas a longer, perhaps more thought out, compound sentence slows things down a little and gives the reader time to smell the roses. What a great opportunity to catch your breath, allow things to meander through the soul and to identify with the MC.

Okay, I'm speaking the obvious here and not trying to preach to the converted that which they already know. But for me at least, that is very much why I need to know the correct structures and theory of English grammar, so that when I practice my art I produce greater pieces of art (probably by breaking all the rules).


Thanks, Jan for another great learning experience. Graham.

[tomoral]

Okay now, that makes a lot of sense to me...slowing down long enough to smell the roses...I get that.

Thanks Graham!

[choosingjoy]

Mmmm, I counted compound sentences, and if correct, there are only 8 in my 728 word piece. I had none at all with semicolons. Something to ponder. Even if I'm not getting all these identified correctly, it has given me something to think about. I hope to have more variety as I write, but I think I'll still shy away from too many "ands' because of getting a strong criticism about it from a magazine editor. It was probably just the particular piece I sent her, but it made me gun shy. I know the goal is learning how to use different kinds of sentences for clarity and interest.

again!

[lish1936]

Since Divine Chocolate supports ethical cacao growers, it is the only brand I will buy.

Jan, I've peppered questions throughout this post so I hope it's not too confusing. The following is my example of a compound sentence:

Thanks for clearing this up (Do I need a comma here?) Jan and Steve, because the first part of the sentence didn't "sound" right as an independent clause.

Did I pass the test? Also, I ususally read my entire piece out loud. It helps me determine if I need to combine simple sentences into compound ones.

Also, without getting too much into the grammar weeds, the site you suggested makes a distinction between coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.

Question: (Is this colon used correctly here?)

Is it correct to conclude that subordinating conjunctions always transforms an independent sentence into a dependent clause - (Did I use that dash correctly?) which seems to be the case in the sample sentence.

Again, thanks for a great lesson.

Lillian

[glorybee]

Since Divine Chocolate supports ethical cacao growers, it is the only brand I will buy.

Jan, I've peppered questions throughout this post so I hope it's not too confusing. The following is my example of a compound sentence:

Thanks for clearing this up (Do I need a comma here?) Jan and Steve, because the first part of the sentence didn't "sound" right as an independent clause.

Did I pass the test? Also, I ususally read my entire piece out loud. It helps me determine if I need to combine simple sentences into compound ones.

Also, without getting too much into the grammar weeds, the site you suggested makes a distinction between coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.

Question: (Is this colon used correctly here?)

Is it correct to conclude that subordinating conjunctions always transforms an independent sentence into a dependent clause - (Did I use that dash correctly?) which seems to be the case in the sample sentence.

Again, thanks for a great lesson.

Lillian

Welcome back, Lillian! I'll answer the questions that I can, and hope that Steve sees this to chime in on the rest.

You definitely need a comma before 'Jan and Steve'. Commas are used whenever you address a person (or people) by name.

The first part of that sentence--without the 'since'--was an independent clause. It was the addition of the word 'since' that made it a dependent clause.

The colon after 'Question' is absolutely correct.

I couldn't tell you a thing about subordinating conjunctions--sorry.

I don't think I'd have used a dash where you did, since one part of that sentence was actually a question. I'd have written it this way:

Is it correct to conclude that subordinating conjunctions always transform an independent sentence into a dependent clause? That seems to be the case in the sample sentence.

I hope I understood all of your questions. Let me know if I've missed the mark.

[swfdoc1]

Lillian,

What you said about subordinating conjunctions is correct.

[amilli]

This lesson was truly a mouthful, but I think it helped me to identify my style of writing. I now believe I prefer writing compound sentences because I can't seem to shut up. When writing, I tend to have so much to say; I normally just keep writing, and use varying conjunctions to hold my thoughts together -- dashes and semi-colons are welcomed too. (my version of a compound sentence...hope it doesn't fall in the complex category too)

This lesson also helped me to conclude that I think I might have miscounted the simple sentences from the last assignment. Recounting, I got: 53 sentences, 28 simple, and 17 compound. (Hope the #s don't change after the next lesson)