A compound sentence is made by combining two simple sentences (or independent clauses) with a comma and coordinating conjunction or a semicolon (or, less commonly, with a colon or em dash).
Complete the assignment for homework, but skip the last question.
The team blew an early lead; it was a tough loss.
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An example of a compound sentence is “Rakesh likes baseball, but Simone prefers basketball.”
This sentence, like all compound sentences, has two independent clauses (“Rakesh likes baseball” and “Simone prefers basketball”). The two independent clauses are joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (“but”).
Other coordinating conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “so”) can also be used to form a compound sentence. Alternatively, a semicolon can be used (e.g., “Rakesh likes baseball; Simone prefers basketball”). An em dash or a colon can also be used to form a compound sentence, but this is less common and requires a specific relationship between the two clauses.
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The relative pronouns “which,” “who,” “whom,” and “whose” can all be used to signal a nonrestrictive clause in a complex sentence.
These pronouns often introduce an adjective clause (or relative clause), which is a type of dependent clause. When that dependent clause is connected to an independent clause, it forms a complex sentence.
Adjective clauses can be either restrictive or nonrestrictive. Nonrestrictive clauses are set off with commas.
My best friend, who is named Ana, is coming to visit me.
The CEO, whom most people assumed was going to retire, took a job at another company.
Emilio, whose apartment I am renting, has decided to move back to town.
Note that the relative pronoun “that” is only used in restrictive clauses.
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An example of a complex sentence is “Desmond likes to stretch before he runs.” It is made up of one independent clause (“Desmond likes to stretch”) and a dependent clause (“before he runs”).
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Complex sentences are made up of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
Compound sentences are made up of two or more independent clauses connected with a comma and a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon (or, less commonly, with a colon or an em dash).
| Complex sentence | Compound sentence |
|---|---|
| If it stops raining, I will go to the park. | It stopped raining, so I went to the park. |
| Kya was sleeping while the teacher was talking. | The teacher was talking, and Kya was sleeping. |
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Good transition words and phrases for the first body paragraph in an essay include:
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Some good transition words and phrases for essays include “first (of all),” “initially,” “to begin with,” “for example,” “in particular,” “conversely,” “in summary,” “overall,” and “finally.”
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Good transition words and phrases to show contrast include:
The transition you choose will depend on the level of formality of your text and your sentence structure.
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Good transition words and phrases to start a paragraph depend on the purpose of the paragraph and how it relates to the previous one.
| Function of paragraph | Transition word examples |
|---|---|
| Introducing a point | to begin with, first of all, first (or second or third) |
| Building on a previous point | furthermore, to illustrate, considering x, on the subject of x, similarly, consequently, returning to x |
| Contrasting with a previous point | however, in contrast, on the other hand |
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Good transition words and phrases for conclusions include:
The transition you choose will depend on the level of formality of your text and the argument you have made.
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