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Grammar and StructureGRAMMAR & STRUCTURE
Sentence Combining: Part 1

  
 

Definition

Sentence combining is a way to join a number of ideas together into one sentence.


Example

Here are four ideas in four different sentences:

Here are all four different ideas combined in one sentence:

There is a cat.
The cat is on a chair.
The chair is red.
The cat is black.

There is a black cat on a red chair.


Explanation

Sentence combining:

  • is useful because it joins related ideas into one clear, well-written sentence.
  • helps you avoid repeating the same words and it helps you write in a more fluent style.

There are many ways to combine simple sentences, for example:

  • Link subjects together.
  • Link verbs together.
  • List adjectives together.
  • Use prepositional phrases.
  • Omit unnecessary or repeated words.
  • Use linking words, such as coordinate conjunctions.
  • Use parallel structure.


Related Sections

Order of Adjectives
Compound Sentences
Common Linking Words and Their Uses
Parallelism
Sentence Combining: Part 2
Sentence Errors — Run-on Sentences: Part 1
Sentence Errors — Run-on Sentences: Part 2