Identify Compound Sentences Quiz

The first three sentences are correct, but they are not compound sentences.

"As I walked along the beach, I found strange footprints." This is a complex sentence. Note the subordinating conjunction, "as."

"I walked along the beach and found strange footprints." This is actually a simple sentence. I took out the subject from the simple sentence, "I found strange footprints." Then I created a compound predicate, "walked and found."

I found strange footprints when I walked along the beach. This is also a complex sentence. The subordinating conjunction is the word, "when."

The words, and, or, and but, are coordinating conjunctions.

Advanced Study:

The words, because and although, are examples of subordinating conjunctions, used mainly to create complex sentences. The word, however, is an example of a conjunctive adverb. It's a great word, but does not have the power of a coordinating conjunction. If you want to use it to join two simple sentences, you must also use a semicolon. Here is an example:

The map was easy to read; however, Jena was not good at reading maps.

We simply add a comma and the coordinating conjunction, but.

Advanced Study:
Turning these two simple sentences into a compound is only done if that the compound sentence that you create is what you actually want to say. Perhaps the sentences need to be left in their simple forms. Perhaps, the concept that you want to portray would be better served in a complex sentence. Here is an example of that:

Although the map was easy to read, Jena was not good at reading maps.

In the case of creating a complex sentence, we use a subordinating conjunction (there are a lot of them), not a coordinating conjunction.

In the end, you, as the writer, will get to make that decision. But regardless of what decision that you make, you need to follow the rules.

False: the sentence that the writer chooses to create must serve the purpose of the concept in that sentence. Sometimes simple sentences are the most effective. Sometimes complex sentences offer more precise meaning to the idea.

I chose to use a semicolon here because it reads better. I want the ideas connected, but the usual coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) didn't sound right. Please note that I changed the words, "The pamphlet," in the second simple sentence to the pronoun, "it." There is no need to mention it twice.

If you wrote something like this, it is not incorrect, but it is a little bulky:

Paul designed and produced the pamphlet, and the pamphlet is excellent work.

Advanced Study:

And again, you have some other choices, as the writer. How about just leaving them as simple sentences or creating a complex sentence like this one:

Because Paul created and produced the pamphlet, it is excellent work.

or

Although Paul created and produced the pamphlet, it is excellent work.

Look how each one says something different because of word choice. The structure is the same.

In the case of creating a complex sentence, we use a subordinating conjunction (there are a lot of them), not a coordinating conjunction.