OBJECTIVE:
While simple sentences are essential to vary the rhythm of your prose and to bring emphasis to key points, compound sentences allow writers to combine similar actions and extend sentences to cover more content in one sentence. So, we will generate a compound sentence in the DRAG-N-DROP mode on piclits.com and hone this vital skill.

Compound sentence: two independent clauses joined by a conjunction: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a sentence.

Writers must place a comma before (F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) that join two sentences (unless both independent clauses have a common subject).

INCORRECT AND CORRECT:
Incorrect: The war lasted for two years but very few people supported it.
Correct: The war lasted for two years, but very few people supported it. (war is the first subject and people is the second subject)

Incorrect: I hope all students understand the importance of correct grammar, and believe everyone can benefit from reviewing grammar rules.
Correct: I hope all students understand the importance of correct grammar and believe everyone can benefit from reviewing grammar rules.

★ common subject of both independent clauses is “I,” so no comma is needed.

MODEL PIC-LIT:

GUIDED PRACTICE WRITING PROMPT:

1. Go to piclits.com
2. Sign in with your e-mail and password
3. Select a picture from the gallery of pictures
4. In FREESTYLE mode, write a compound sentence. Ensure that you have a comma before the conjunction if the second sentence has a different subject. (as in the model PIC-LIT above). Label the subject of the first sentence, the conjunction, and the subject of the second sentence (as in the model PIC-LIT above).