To transform the sentence "The girl who is dancing on the stage is my sister" into a compound sentence, you need to break it down into two independent clauses and then join them appropriately. The core idea is to separate the descriptive clause ("who is dancing on the stage") from the main statement.
As per the reference, the sentence "The girl who is dancing on the stage is my sister” can be rephrased into two distinct simple sentences:
- A girl is dancing on the stage.
- She is my sister.
These two simple sentences, once identified, can then be combined to form a compound sentence.
Understanding the Original Sentence
The original sentence, "The girl who is dancing on the stage is my sister," is a complex sentence. It contains one independent clause ("The girl is my sister") and one dependent clause ("who is dancing on the stage") that modifies "the girl." A complex sentence is characterized by having at least one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.
Steps to Transform into a Compound Sentence
The process involves identifying two complete thoughts (independent clauses) within the original sentence and linking them.
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Identify Independent Clauses:
The first step, as demonstrated by the reference, is to extract two separate, complete thoughts from the original sentence.- "A girl is dancing on the stage." (This is a complete thought.)
- "She is my sister." (This is also a complete thought.)
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Combine the Clauses:
Once you have two independent clauses, you can combine them to form a compound sentence using:- A coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) preceded by a comma.
- A semicolon.
Here are the compound sentence transformations:
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Using a Coordinating Conjunction:
- "A girl is dancing on the stage, and she is my sister."
- "A girl is dancing on the stage, for she is my sister." (Implies cause)
- "A girl is dancing on the stage, so she is my sister." (Implies result)
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Using a Semicolon:
- "A girl is dancing on the stage; she is my sister."
What is a Compound Sentence?
A compound sentence is a sentence that consists of two or more independent clauses (or complete thoughts) joined together. Each independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. While the reference states that "A compound sentence is a sentence that has more than one predicate or a subject," the more precise definition emphasizes the presence of two or more independent clauses that are grammatically linked.
Key Characteristics of a Compound Sentence:
- Multiple Independent Clauses: It must contain at least two independent clauses.
- Connectors: These clauses are typically joined by:
- A comma and a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
- A semicolon.
- A semicolon followed by a conjunctive adverb (e.g., however, therefore, moreover) and then a comma.
Why Use Compound Sentences?
Compound sentences are valuable for:
- Showing Related Ideas: They effectively link two closely related ideas within a single sentence, making the connection clear to the reader.
- Adding Variety to Writing: They help break up the monotony of too many simple sentences, contributing to a more mature and engaging writing style.
- Conciseness: They can be more concise than separating two closely related ideas into two distinct simple sentences.
Transformation Summary
Here's a quick overview of the transformation:
| Original Sentence (Complex) | Rephrased Independent Clauses (Reference) | Compound Sentence Examples |
|---|---|---|
| The girl who is dancing on the stage is my sister. | A girl is dancing on the stage. She is my sister. | A girl is dancing on the stage, and she is my sister. |
| A girl is dancing on the stage; she is my sister. |
