Connectors and an introduction to complex meaning

Connecting statements

Carrying the actor through

Some connectors let us carry over information from the first part of the compound sentence into later parts.

James turned and ran.

James and the Giant PeachRoald DahlSource

The verb 'ran' is by itself. Who ran?

We know from the first half of the sentence that James ran.

Strictly speaking, we should be calling these 'clauses' not 'simple sentences'

If it was a different person (not James) who ran, we'd get something like the compound sentences we saw on the previous page:

James turned and Jacinta ran.

So our original snippet is actually very similar in structure to those sentences from the previous page. The difference is that the second 'sentence' is sharing the same actor (James) as the first one: "James turned and (James) ran."

Let's look at a few more. Notice how the actor "carries through" the whole compound sentence.

The enormous creature merely looked at Violet with its blank white eyes and shook its head, then dismissed her with a silent gesture.

The Bad BeginningLemony SnicketSource

A bale of hay has come loose and spilt itself all over.

That Eye, the SkyTim WintonSource

But people weren’t rushing to their next class, or playing around, or spinning the locks on their lockers.

GoneMichael GrantSource
Verb helpers also carry through
Your turn

Now that we've seen how to make compound sentences, it's time to look at some of the different kinds of meanings and relationships connectors can create.

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