ABSTRACT
A sentence is a complete idea. Long sentences can make writing more difficult to understand. Too many short sentences can make writing seem choppy and disjointed. You want to get a mixture of both. A compound sentence is two complete ideas connected by a conjunction. A complex sentence has one complete idea and one dependent phrase. Commas are used to (a) separate items in a series, (b) separate a nonessential clause, (c) separate two independent clauses in a compound sentence, and (d) after an introductory phrase. Keep instruction simple and avoid jargon.
