ABSTRACT

Explain that this paragraph is made up of simple sentences. This means that each sentence has one independent clause and no dependent clauses. (You can take time to review clauses, subjects, and verbs, but a review is not essential to this lesson.) Read the paragraph aloud, drawing attention to the choppy sound of the series of short, simple sentences. Tell students that they can revise the paragraph so that it has some simple sentences and some compound sentences. A compound sentence is made up of two simple sentences. The simple sentences are connected with a comma and a conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet). List the conjunctions on the board, and have the class read aloud each word with you.