Pre-AP: Homework Help: Compound and Complex Sentences

On the board 9/23 and 9/24.

Some examples:

COMPOUND SENTENCES: FANBOYS

I am hungry, so I decided to eat a burrito.

My doctor says that I'm doing a good job losing weight, yet I still write all my grammar examples about junk food. 

Notice that the yellow parts each function as complete sentences (aka independent clauses). They have a subject + verb. The pink parts are coordinating conjunctions. Compound sentences join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction. Read that sentence to yourself four more times. 

COMPLEX SENTENCES: AWUBIS

There are two different ways you can write a complex sentence, as you can see in the picture of the notes above. Complex sentences join 1 dependent and 1 independent clause with a subordinating conjunction. Repeat that sentence a few more times, too.

Because I plan to eat a large plate of Mexican food on Friday after work, I will probably not lose too much weight this week. 

Notice that the yellow parts express a complete thought, and if they were taken out of the context of this sentence, they would both be a complete sentence. "I plan to eat a large plate of Mexican food on Friday after work" is made to be a dependent clause by the presence of the subordinating conjunction immediately before it. "I will probably not lose too much weight this week" is an independent clause. Notice that because the dependent clause comes first in this example, the comma is needed. 

You can also put the dependent clause after the independent clause, like this:

I will probably feel guilty about eating Mexican food unless I make up for it by exercising a little bit extra this weekend. 

Again, both yellow segments of this sentence have a subject and a verb, and if taken out of the context of this sentence, they both would be complete sentences. Because we add the subordinating clause to the front of "I make up for it...," it becomes a dependent clause. 

A More Complete List of Subordinating Conjunctions

(AWUBIS)