Author: metbaseball

Compound Sentences

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A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses is a compound sentence. One way to connect the independent clauses is by using a conjunctive adverb; another way is by using a coordinating conjunction.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. As a group, they form the “fanboys,” an acronym that aids their recall.

Whenever a coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses, a comma must be inserted before the conjunction.

Example: Jill ate the hamburger, for she was hungry.

Note: In the above example, “for” means “because.”

Is the following a compound sentence? Is the sentence punctuated correctly?

* The Mets released Luis Castillo on Friday but they didn’t release Oliver Perez until Monday.

It’s a compound sentence; however, it’s not punctuated correctly. It needs a comma before “but.”

More on Conjunctive Adverbs

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A conjunctive adverb can appear either at the beginning of a sentence or within it. When it starts a sentence, a comma should follow it.

Example: Nevertheless, he ate the ice cream.

When it’s within a sentence, how it’s punctuated depends on what surrounds it. If there’s an independent clause on each side, it needs to be punctuated as described in the previous post.

Example: Today is the first day of spring; however, I’m going to miss winter.

When a conjunctive adverb “interrupts” a sentence that contains only one independent clause, the adverb needs to be “encased” in commas.

Example: For breakfast, however, she prefers to eat oatmeal.

Note: If a group of words that begins with a capital letter and ends with a period lacks an independent clause, it’s a sentence fragment. (“Stop!” is a sentence because its subject, “you,” is implied, and its meaning is understood. It expresses a complete thought.)

A Brief Introduction to the Conjunctive Adverb

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A sentence, at its minimum, needs to contain both a subject and a verb; further, it must express a complete thought, which enables it to make sense when standing alone.

The above sentence actually expresses two thoughts. First, it states that “A sentence, at its minimum, needs to contain both a subject and a verb.” Second, it states that “it must express a complete thought, which enables it to make sense when standing alone.” Each of those thoughts is also an independent clause. They’re connected by “further,” which is a conjunctive adverb.

Whenever a conjunctive adverb connects two independent clauses, it must be preceded by a semi-colon and followed by a comma.

Other words that can serve as conjunctive adverbs are accordingly, besides, consequently, finally, furthermore, however, nevertheless, and therefore.

A Brief Introduction to Reginald Shepherd

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Reginald Shepherd, a name I was unfamiliar with until yesterday, has written one of the most captivating first two sentences in any piece of prose I’ve read in a long time. In the piece, titled “Why I Write,” Shepherd wrote “I write because I would like to live forever. The fact of my future death offends me.” Those are two lines that not only can motivate most readers to continue reading, but almost have the power to drag a reader further into the text.

Besides writing prose, Shepherd also wrote poetry. He wrote the poem, “Syntax,” in a style reminiscent of e. e. cumming’s. It starts with these stanzas:

Occasionally a god speaks to you,
rutted tollway a flint knife breaching
gutted fields hung on event

horizon, clear cut contradiction
through soybeans and sheared corn: blue
pickup an orange blaze, white letters

The first line is straightforward; however, the second line detours into surrealism. It’s a puzzle whose pieces, at first glance, don’t seem to fit together. It’s as if Shepherd doesn’t even expect or want a reader to try to interpret it, but rather, just to flow with its words and create a new, personal experience from them.