COMPOUND SENTENCES (Basic Grammar & Usage by Penelope Choy – p.

79)

COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS – CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS

CONJUNCTIONS

and but for (when it means because) nor or so yet

The president entered the room, and the band began to play “Hail to the Chief.”
She diets constantly, but her weight remains the same.
I rarely prepare casseroles, for my family refuses to eat them.
We must hurry, or we will miss the first part of the movie.
He can’t help you, nor can I.
The defendant was ill, so the trial was postponed.
He earns only $800 a month, yet he lives quite comfortably.

use a semicolon (;) in place of both the comma and the coordinating conjunction.

She could not find her keys; they must have fallen somewhere.

CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS

also hence likewise otherwise

anyway however meanwhile still
besides in addition moreover then
consequently incidentally nevertheless therefore
finally indeed next thus
furthermore instead nonetheless

A conjunctive adverb connects, like other conjunctions, and modifies, like other adverbs. Because it is adverbial,
it can be located in many places in its own clause. Because it can move around in the second clause and does
not always come exactly between the two clauses (like coordinating conjunctions), it does not necessarily act as
a signal to readers that they are coming to the second half of a compound sentence. For these reasons, the
strong signal of a semicolon marks the end of the first clause.

Bob loved to surf; therefore, he lived near the beach.

Joe, however, liked to hike; he lived near the mountains.
COMPLEX SENTENCES

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

how: as if as though

when: after as as soon as before until when whenever while

where: where wherever

why: because in order that since so that

under what conditions: although as long as even though if though unless

Every dependent clause begins with a subordinating conjunction. The type of dependent clause that you will be
studying in this lesson is called an adverb clause because, like other adverbs, an adverb clause describes a verb
(or sometimes an adjective or an adverb).

When Joe wants to relax, he goes fishing.

Rick finds time to exercise after he finishes work.

While he is on the train, he usually reads his books.

He usually reads his books while he is on the train.

If we go on vacation, we will have lots of fun.

We will have lots of fun if we go on vacation.

RUN-ON SENTENCES & COMMA SPLICE

●Failure to separate two independent clauses results in an error known as a run-on sentence.

I don’t play tennis well I have a poor backhand.

1. Divide the run-on into two separate sentences, ending each with a period.
I don’t play tennis well. I have a poor backhand.

2. Change the run-on to a compound sentence by separating the clauses with a coordinating conjunction,
a conjunctive adverb, or just a semicolon if the relationship between the clauses is clear without a conjunction.
I don’t play tennis well, for I have a poor backhand.
I have a poor backhand; as a result, I don’t play tennis well.
I don’t play tennis well; I have a poor backhand.

3. Change the run-on to a complex sentence by placing a subordinating conjunction before one of the clauses.
I don’t play tennis well because I have a poor backhand.
Because I have a poor backhand, I don’t play tennis well.
●A comma splice consists of two independent clauses joined with not enough punctuation—that is, with only a
comma (and no coordinating conjunction).
Sue is a full-time student, she works forty hours a week.

1. Divide the comma splice into two separate sentences, ending each with a period.
Sue is a full-time student. She works forty hours a week.

2. Change the comma splice to a compound sentence by separating the clauses with a coordinating conjunction,
a conjunctive adverb, or just a semicolon if the relationship between the clauses is clear without a conjunction.
Sue is a full-time student, yet she works forty hours a week.
Sue is a full-time student; however, she works forty hours a week.
Sue is a full-time student; she works forty hours a week.

3. Change the comma splice to a complex sentence by placing a subordinating conjunction before one of the
clauses.
Although Sue is a full-time student, she works forty hours a week.
Sue works forty hours a week although she is a full-time student.