Lesson 23

Eight Cousins

List of Common Conjunctions

and

but

or

so

c. Circle the conjunctions in the following sentences.

1) The aquarium held tetras, guppies, and neons.

2) Setting up an aquarium requires equipment, knowledge, and patience.

3) You may choose the apple, peach, or blueberry yogurt.

d. Circle all the conjunctions in the literature passage.

3. a. Conjunctions are also used to join two sentences. Punctuate a compound sentence with a comma before the conjunction. To tell if the sentence is a compound sentence,  read the first part separately. Does it have a subject? Does it have a verb?   Read the second part of the compound sentence. Does it have a subject? Does it have a verb? If you answered "yes," then it is a compound sentence.

Ex: The other lads looked up, and they smiled involuntarily. The other lads looked up is a complete sentence.

They smiled involuntarily is a complete sentence.

Jeff saw a bear and ran back to his tent.
Jeff saw a bear is a complete sentence.
Ran back to his tent is not a complete sentence; there is no subject. This is not a compound sentence, therefore, do not use a comma. This sentence contains a compound verb. Jeff saw and ran.

b. Place commas correctly if it is a compound sentence.

1) I ran the mile race and John ran the hundred yard dash.
2) John competed in the hurdles and the shotput.
3) I'm taking piano lessons and Amy is taking guitar lessons.

c. You learned in Lesson 22 that a conjunction is used to connect words that perform more than one function in a sentence. For example, in the first sentence of the literature passage, what two things do the lads do?