There's Something about Compound Sentences

A commonly abused construction is the compound sentence. Let's dig in here and learn why that is the case so we can avoid awkward sentence construction in the future.

A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, and a compound sentence is formed when two or more independent clauses are combined. Commas are used to separate the clauses of a compound sentence. Only clauses closely related in thought should be joined to make a compound sentence.

Let's see some examples, both good and bad.

Good Example No. 1:
John Smith is a very tall man, but he walks with an air of authority.
These clauses are independent but related. You could make them into two distinct sentences if you wanted to do so.

Bad Example No 1:
Clients have been responsive today, and I have a new skateboard to break in.
These clauses are not related. By combining them, we are bound to confuse the reader.

Good Example No. 2:
I have travelled to Florida, but I don't expect to return soon.
Once again, the phrases are related and make sense when tied together.

Bad Example No. 2:
The mail arrives at noon each day, and I am having serious concentration issues today.
In what universe do these two thoughts go together? They certainly don't make sense in this one.

This is something I encounter often in copy that comes across my desk. We often try to make a connection between unrelated thoughts. Rather than do this, we can break up the thoughts and make for a much clearer message. Compound sentences are great when they make sense, but nothing derails a reader like seeing two unrelated thoughts tied together. A person could go mad trying to understand the connection.