A 

compound sentence is a sentence that has at least two independent clauses joined by a comma,
semicolon or conjunction. Compound Sentences are important because they allow us to shorten the
things we say or write. They express our thoughts in a way that allows our audience to receive
information easily and quickly.

Examples of Compound Sentences:

1. Sarah walked to class, but Kevin ran.
2. I want hamburgers, but Lois wants pizza.
3. The photographer held up a bear, and the little boy smiled.
4. I fell out of the bed, so Mom came to check on me.
5. The dog buried his bone, and the cat sniffed around it.
6. I was late; however, the class had not started.
7. I left my bag on the bus; therefore, I did not have a pencil.
8. Can I go home with you, so we can do our homework together?
9. It was very hot outside, and the ice cream melted.
10. Our team tried hard, but we lost the game.

The use of a coordinating conjunction is one of the main ways to link the independent clauses of a
compound sentence. There are seven coordinating conjunctions, which can be remembered by the
mnemonic FANBOYS – for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so.

Coordinating conjunctions play an important role in a compound sentence because they link the two
independent clauses and help writing flow better. 

In a compound sentence, the independent clauses are joined using one of the following methods:

 A conjunction with a comma (e.g., ", and")

 I like tea, and he likes coffee.

 A semicolon
 I like hot chocolate; it sends me to sleep.

 A colon
 I know one thing: I love that girl.
(This is rare because the words after a colon are not often an independent clause.)
 A dash
 I know you're here — I can smell your perfume.

 A conjunction with a semicolon (e.g., "; and")

 After the lights went out, I could hear you whispering; and I know you were
talking about me.
(This is rare because it's an outdated style.)