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The Compound Sentence

The farmer worked hard, and his crops were excellent.

In the sentence written above, the farmer worked hard is not subordinate to the rest of the sentence.

His crops were excellent is also not subordinate to the rest of the sentence.

It is seen that this sentence consists of two coordinate statements.

In a compound sentence there may be several coordinate statements.

Let us enlarge this compound sentence by adding a clause to each statement and we shall have: The farmer worked hard, which was his idea of duty, and his crops were excellent, as he hoped they would be.

Any of the coordinate statements of a compound sentence may be modified by one or more clauses, so that the parts may be complex; but the sentence is still compound.

Tell what kind of a sentence each of the following is; point out the principal statements, and the clauses in the complex sentences; indicate the principal statements and the clauses (if there are any) of the compound sentences.

1. The warm rain makes the grass grow rapidly.

2. I now know by what means he succeeded.

3. Study diligently, and you will learn rapidly.

4. The world is made for happiness, but many people make themselves miserable.

5. When spring returns, birds begin to build their nests.

6. It is the duty of government to protect persons and property.

7. The man who is patient and persevering is likely to meet with success.

8. Her description was here suddenly interrupted by the signal for assault, which was given by the blast of a shrill bugle.

9. They throng again to the breach, and the pass is disputed hand to hand and man to man!

10. The boy has started from the bed Of flowers, where he had laid his head.

11. He who ascends to mountain-tops shall find

The loftiest peaks most wrapt in clouds and snow.

12. I fear thee, Ancient Mariner, I fear thy skinny hand;


13. There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,



15. As soon as the beasts were loaded I mounted my camel, and pressed forward.

16. When evening came I was still within the confines of the desert, and my tent was pitched as usual, but one of my Arabs stalked away rapidly towards the west without telling me of the errand on which he was bent.

17. With fingers weary and worn,

With eyelids heavy and red,

A woman sat in unwomanly rags,

Plying her needle and thread.

18. His life was gentle; and the elements


19. If thou art worn and hard beset With sorrows that thou wouldst forget,

If thou wouldst read a lesson that will keep Thy heart from fainting and thy soul from sleep, Go to the woods and hills!

20. All the various kinds of interest which belong to the near and to the distant, to the present and to the past, were collected on one spot and in one hour.

21. Ring out the old, ring in the new;


Write three compound sentences having respectively two, three, and four members.

Write three compound sentences where some or all of the members are modified by clauses.

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