Writing Skills Workshop: Sentence-Combining, part 1 of 3

1. The comma!
2. Semicolon + transitional adverb / Colon
3. Sentence-branching

What is that circled line missing? A comma! Commas are crucial tools for separating thoughts and ideas, whether they be as small as a list of symptoms, or a big as your greatest new idea. Let’s go over 2 ways commas can be used to create more complex sentences.

Comma + conjunction

This is the most common way to combine 2 independent clauses (i.e., 2 complete thoughts). The key is to use a conjunction that helps communicate what kind of connection you’re making between the 2 thoughts.

and, but, or, for, yet

These are your conjunctions: the ‘tape’ or ‘pushpins’ to connect 2 thoughts…plus a comma!

Example 1: Take this excerpt from Alexxandra Shuman’s essay, “The Essentials to Happiness”:

Happiness is a journey. Everyone seems to need different things to be happy. But I believe people are blinded from what truly makes one happy.

https://thisibelieve.org/essay/2578/

We could combine sentence #1 and #2 using AND, BUT, or YET. All work, and change the ‘flavor’ of the piece. Or, we could easily combine sentence #2 and #3, because the BUT is already there:

Happiness is a journey. Everyone seems to need different things to be happy, but I believe people are blinded from what truly makes one happy.

https://thisibelieve.org/essay/2578/

Comma + appositives

An appositive is the technical term for a phrase (or word) that gives more information about a noun…generally the subject of your sentence or paragraph. This is a great way to make your writing more concise and less choppy.

You are using appositives every time you provide contextual lead-in to your text evidence using this writing style:

Iago, the antagonist of Shakespeare’s play, Othello, thinks that women are inferior to men.

Our example claim sentence from writing analytical paragraphs on characterization

Example 1: Here’s another excerpt from Alexxandra Shuman’s essay, “The Essentials to Happiness”:

“I spent the day with a nine-year-old girl named Marilyn. She took me to her house to meet her parents.“

I could revise this by using an appositive: Marilyn, a nine-year-old girl, took me to her house to meet her parents.

One last thing: use commas for list items and to connect 2 thoughts using a conjunction… but DON’T just throw it in carelessly. That’s a comma splice.

References: Howe Center for Writing Excellence, Miami U of Ohio https://www.miamioh.edu/hcwe/handouts/sentence-combination/index.html and https://www.k12reader.com/worksheet/combining-sentences-with-appositives