Compound Sentences and Coordinating Conjunctions

If a sentence has two ideas of equal importance that are closely enough related to be in the same sentence, you need a joining or coordinating word (also known as a coordinating conjunction) that will keep them equal. Below is a list of coordinating conjunctions.

Examples

• Everyone pays taxes, and everyone is insured.
• These efforts put Uganda on a path of recovery, but progress was slow through the early 1990s.
• The ballots contained several lengthy initiatives, so the lines outside polling places remained long all day.
• All of the preliminary objectives must be met by the end of March, or the next tranche of funding will not be disbursed.
• These views do not represent the position of World Bank management, nor do they constitute official Bank policy.
• September is a busy time at the Bank, for the annual meetings require extra effort from many staff members.
• Everyone agrees that the reforms held considerable promise for recovery, yet the economy has remained stagnant for the past five years.