36/The Compound Sentence

A c.s. is a multiple sentence of two or more clauses coordinated with each other. Clauses combined by means of coordination are regarded as independent^ they are linked in such a way that there is no hierarchy in the syntactic relationship$ they have the same syntactic status. Two clauses are coordinated if they are connected by a conjunct or a coordinator/ Coordinated clauses are sometimes called “conjoins” Coordination can be asyndatic or syndatic. Grammar books differ greatly in their treatment of coordinators. Clausal coordinators are regarded as those linking elements which do not allow other linking words before them. Coordinators are to be distinguished from conjuncts (therefore, otherwise, also, then).

Asyndetic Compound Sentences:

In a.c.s. coordinators are absent. 1. Two or more clauses can be made into one s. without a coordinator being used. The result is a.c.s. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. It is natural that asyndetically joined coordinate clauses should convey related ideas. Grammatically, these relations might not be expressed explicitly: the speaker or writer has them in mind when producing an utterance and listener deduces them from the semantic context, intonation contour and some structural features of the coordinated clauses. More often the relation between a. joined coordinate clauses is shown with the help of conjunctive adverbs or conjuncts (however, yet, thus, so, besides). They want to be slim, of course, yet after months of dieting failure they might think it was time to stop. 2. In writing, asyndetically joined coordinate clauses are separated by a semicolon (;), colon (:) or a dash (-). The semicolon is perhaps most frequently used. The colon is mainly used to set off a clause that explains or elaborates the statement expressed in the first clause. The dash is especially common in informal writing; it can be used in the same way as the colon. A comma can be used in a.s. if the clauses are very short or the ideas expressed are closely related: I came, I saw, I conquered. 3. If both a.c. are negative in meaning and the second clause opens with still less, much less or even less, this second clause has inverted word order, similar to the interrogative sentence inversion She doesn’t even like him; much less does she want to marry him. 4. A.s. are found in a number of proverbs Two is a company; three is none/ a crowd.

Syndetic compound sentences:

In s.c.c. the type of coordination is expressed explicitly by means of coordinators, coordinating conjunctions and, but, for, so that The lights went out, the curtain went up and the show began. The peculiarity of and and or is that they can link more than two clauses. Coordinators can be divided into one-member, or simple (and, but) and multi-member (either…or).

Coordinators and conjuncts in a compound sentence express four logical types of coordination: copulative, disjunctive, adversative and causative-consecutive.

C.s. with copulative coordination.

In such s. the clauses are simply linked together to express 2 or more related facts. Coordinators: and, neither … nor, not only … but, and so on. Clauses containing the endorsing item not only have direct word order when this element is found in mid-position, and inverted word order when this element is found in initial position. Clauses opening with neither, nor, so always have inverted word order; I don’t blame you, and neither do I doubt your honesty; Not only did Harry lose his wallet, but he was also robbed of his Swiss watch. C.s. can be used in an informal style to express advice, threat or warning. This is done by conjoining an imperative clause and a clause opening with and and containing a verb in the future tense: Go by train and you’ll get to N. at 4 a.m. C.s. are found in proverbs: Give him an inch, and he’ll take a mile.

C.s. with disjunctive coord.

Such s. express an alternative. This is achieved with the help of or, or else, either…or, otherwise: Either the pump is broken or the drainage is clogged. D.s. can be used to give advice, warning or an order, using otherwise and or: Hurry up, or you’ll be late again.

C.s. with adversative coord.

In such s. the statements expressed by the clauses are contrasted in meaning, using coordinator but and conjuncts however, nevertheless, still, yet etc. At first, she refused to join us; later, however, she changed her mind. The order of clauses cannot be reversed, because implications of the whole s. will be different. A.s. are found in proverbs: It never rains but it pours.

C.s. with causative-consecutive coordination

Such sentences express the idea of cause and consequence. This is done with the help of for, hence, then, therefore, thus etc. I’m off on holiday, so I won’t be seeing you for a while. For is sometimes interchangeable with because, although the use of for in place of because is regarded as dated.