Learning properly join two independent clauses will save your English teachers a lot of red ink when they grade your essays while also improving your command of the language. Because writing too many short sentences makes your work sound choppy, it is important to learn the correct way to join independent clauses. In addition, once you learn the rules about joining independent clauses, you will find that you have several different choices in making the connection, allowing for a variety of sentence structures in your work.
Instructions
1. Join two independent clauses using a comma and a coordinating conjunction. To help you remember the coordinating conjunctions, learn the mnemonic device, FANBOYS. FANBOYS is an acrostic formed using the first letter of each of the coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so. For example: I love pizza, but it gives me heartburn.
2. Use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses that are closely related to one another. For instance: You don't cry over spilled milk; you cry over spilled ice cream.
3. Use a colon to separate two independent clauses when the second independent clause restates or explains the first independent clause. Consider the following example: A dog is a man's best friend: They are loyal, never ask to borrow money and they are happy when you leave the toilet seat up.
Tags: independent clauses, clauses will, coordinating conjunctions, independent clause, independent clauses will