Part of what a good writer does is to create a pattern or rhythm in the text. This is what makes reading interesting. We think of songwriters and poets using rhythm, but good prose has it also. Sentences of all the same pattern and length do not have this rhythm. We have to combine phrases and clauses in various ways to find our own patterns when we write. Don't be afraid to re-arrange your words, your phrases, your sentences. Read them aloud to yourself or to others. Try to listen to or see them as another would. Don't be afraid to write, and re-write, and re-write, if that is what it takes to create the rhythm you seek. The more you experiment, the more sure you are of reaching the style and the voice that will be uniquely yours.
Combining independent clauses:
An independent clause is a group of words with a subject and a main verb which can stand alone as a complete sentence. When two or more independent clauses are joined, you must use a semicolon (;) or a coordinating conjunction, usually preceded by a comma (The coordinating conjunctions are: for, and, nor, buy, or, yet, so). The most common coordinating conjunctions are but and and. The simplest technique we have for combining ideas is to use a conjunction.
Mother Goose is a classic collection of rhymes and rhyming games for children. Some of the Mother Goose rhymes are also social and political comments.
a) Mother Goose is a classic collection of rhymes and rhyming games for children, but some of the Mother Goose rhymes are also social and political comments. (independent clause + comma + coordinating conjunction but + second independent clause)
b) Mother Goose is a classic collection of rhymes and rhyming games for children; some of the Mother Goose rhymes are also social and political comments. (independent clause + semicolon + second independent clause)
2. Wolves are loyal and faithful members of their pack. They mate for life.
a) Wolves are loyal and faithful members of their pack, and they mate for life. (independent clause + comma + coordinating conjunction and + second independent clause)
b) Wolves are loyal and faithful members of their pack; they mate for life. (independent clause + semicolon + second independent clause)
See the difference between and and but in these sentences? and links two closely related thoughts--a logical move from loyalty and faithfulness to mating for life. but shows a link, but a kind of twist--an unexpected relationship to the first clause. The rhymes are for children, BUT they have another meaning for adults.
You don't have to be limited to combining independent clauses. You may join subjects, verb, objects, phrases, adjectives, adverbs, etc. When you do combine these (always join like elements please, subject and subject, verb and verb, etc.) with a coordinating conjunction, you seldom need a comma before the conjunction. More about that below.
If you are using more than one subject, and they are performing the same action or in the same state of being, you can combine them. This is called a compound subject.
Leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, Hansel and Gretel went deeper into the woods.
Fishing and playing rugby were the only things he really enjoyed doing. (note that fishing and playing are gerunds--verbs acting as nouns. They are the compound subject of this sentence)
If your subject is doing more than one thing, it is often possible to combine the verbs or the verbals.
1. Sarah likes walking in the rain. Sarah enjoys dancing.
a) Sarah likes walking in the rain and enjoys dancing. (You DO NOT need a comma before the coordinating
conjunction and, because you no longer have two sentences joined. Since the subject (Sarah) is the same in both
sentences, you may safely leave it out when you join the original sentences.)
2. While young, Guy began to design puppets. He also began to build them.
a) While young, Guy began to design and build puppets. (began is the main verb of the sentence. To design and to build are verbals. Notice that we didn't use to build when we combined them. It is perfectly correct to use to design and to build, but it is not necessary.)
If the objects are parallel (both objects of an identical or similar verb), you can combine those objects.
1. Donny wanted to improve his English. He also wanted to improve his listening skills.
a) Donny wanted to improve his English and his listening skills.
2. CC often says that practice is the way to improve. She says that writing, reading, listening, and speaking practice are
equally important.
a) CC often says that practice is the way to improve and that writing, reading, listening, and speaking practice are
equally important.
If the objects are not parallel (Donny was determined that he could improve his English and wished to start more classes.), the sentence not only doesn't sound quite right, it doesn't make a logical progression of thought--it jumps around. that he could improve his English and wished to start more classes do not have a grammatical relationship--they have two different verb forms. If you want to join sentences like this, you must change the verb forms to "match". "Donny was determined to improve his English and to start more classes." would be one way to do this. (See Parallel Construction)
Sometimes modifiers can be combined (adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, etc.)
Winifred is a lovely lady. She is also a gracious lady.
Winifred is a lovely and gracious lady. (combined adjectives)
The damsel in distress screamed loudly. The damsel in distress screamed piercingly.
The damsel in distress screamed loudly and piercingly. (combined adverbs)
Belinda went to the store. She then went to the laundry.
Belinda went to the store and the laundry. (combined prepositional phrases. Notice that the to can be dropped from the second phrase when combining. The sentence is correct because the action of Belinda going to the laundry is implied and understood. )
When you combine independent clauses, you are joining two equally strong and important ideas. If you make one of the ideas a dependent clause, then join them, you are showing that one can depend or explain the other. Watch your punctuation when you choose this method of combining sentences.
Cecilia won top prize in the flower show. She grew the largest roses in the country.
Since Cecilia grew the largest roses in the country, she won top prize in the flower show. (cause and effect relationship:
Cecilia grew the largest roses and that was the reason she won top prize.) You could also say Cecilia won top prize in the flower show because she grew the largest roses in the country.
Charley can't swim too well. Charley accepted a job charting the Amazon.
Although Charley can't swim too well, he accepted a job charting the Amazon. (You can also turn the sentence around: Charley accepted a job charting the Amazon, although he can't swim too well.)
Lord Carver came near the tomb of the Pharaoh Ramses II. He remembered too late the warning of the old beggar woman in Cairo.
As Lord Carver came near the tomb of the Pharaoh Ramses II, he remembered too late the warning of the old beggar woman in Cairo.
Absolute phrases are nouns or pronouns with a participle and modifiers (if any) of the noun or pronoun. They do have a subject, but not a verb that can be used as is for a main verb. Absolute phrases modify the entire sentence adding information. They are always treated as parenthetical elements, sometimes being an interjection, and are set off by commas or dashes. Do not confuse them with a clause, because even though they have a subject, they do not have the right form of verb. "Her lips chapped from the wind, Sunny couldn't play her flute." (You need to add an auxiliary verb like were or being to the verb chapped to make the phrase an independent clause.)
1. Arthur's music was immensely popular. His fans were disappointed that he didn't make a CD.
a) His music immensely popular, Arthur's fans were disappointed that he didn't make a CD.
2. Wally finally received his Masters in Engineering. He packed up his text books. He moved to Houston Texas to
make his fortune.
a) His Masters in Engineering received and his text books packed up, Wally moved to Houston Texas to make his fortune.
An appositive, or appositive phrase is a word or group of words that re-names or further identifies a noun, not only the subject. Appositives and appositive phrases are often parenthetical, or non-essential phrases, meaning that they are not necessary to the meaning of the sentence and could be left out. If they are needed for clarity, they are not set off by commas. Appositives immediately follow the noun they are describing. Appositive phrases can contain other types of phrases within it.
This sentence would sound awkward if you combined them with and (Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII, and she was wrongly convicted of treason and beheaded. You could use a semicolon without the and, but this makes a long and rather dull sentence also. By converting the one of the sentences to an appositive, the combined result is interesting and not overly lengthy.)
a) Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was wrongly convicted of treason and beheaded.
b) The second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, was wrongly convicted of treason and beheaded.
c) Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn, was wrongly convicted of treason and beheaded.
When combining two sentences, you may also be able to turn one into participial phrase.
a) Wrongly convicted of treason, Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, was beheaded.
Sir Richard was shipwrecked in the Bermuda Triangle 30 years go. He never gave up hope of being found. He made signal fires every day.
a) Shipwrecked in the Bermuda Triangle 30 years ago, Sir Richard never gave up hope of being found and made signal fires every day. (One sentence turned into a participial phrase, and the other two verbs were combined.)