Transformation of a Simple Sentence into a Compound

Sentences
A Simple Sentence has only one subject and one predicate. A compound sentence must have two or
more co-ordinate clauses, each with its own subject and predicate. Examples are given below.
Climbing up the tree, he plucked some mangoes. (Simple Sentence)
He climbed up the tree and plucked some mangoes. (Compound Sentence)
Here we changed the participial phrase Climbing up the tree into the clause He climbed up the
tree and connected it to the original clause with the coordinating conjunction and. Thus a simple
sentence can be converted into a compound sentence by expanding a word or a phrase into a clause
and by using the coordinating conjunction to connect the clauses. More examples are given below.

Driven by rain, he took shelter under a tree. (Simple sentence)

He was driven by rain and took shelter under a tree. (Compound Sentence)
Besides being beautiful, she is intelligent. (Simple Sentence)
She is not only beautiful but also intelligent. (Compound Sentence)
In spite of his poverty he is happy. (Simple Sentence)
He is poor but he is happy. (Compound Sentence)

Exercise
Convert the following simple sentences into compound sentences.
1. Being innocent, he never thought of running away.
2. Besides being thrown into jail, he was heavily fined.
3. The old man sat near the fire, smoking.
4. By his pleasant manner, the boy became popular.
Answers

1. He was innocent and never thought of running away.

2. He was not only thrown into jail but also heavily fined.
3. The old man sat near the fire and smoke.
4. The boy had pleasant manner and thus became popular.

Transformation of a Compound Sentence into a Simple

Sentence
We can convert a compound sentence into a simple sentence by reducing the number of clauses
into one.
He got up and walked away. (Compound sentence)
Getting up, he walked away. (Simple Sentence)
Here we reduced the clause He got up into the participial phrase getting up.
More examples are given below.

He gave them not only a house but some land also. (Simple Sentence)
Besides a house, he gave them some land also. (Compound sentence)
Here we reduced the clause he gave them some land also into the prepositional phrase besides a
house.
He ran away and thus escaped arrest. (Simple Sentence)
He ran away in order to escape arrest. (Compound Sentence)
Here the clause thus escaped arrest is replaced by the infinitive phrase in order to escape arrest.
Now we have seen that to convert compound sentences into simple sentences, clauses have to be
reduced to participial, prepositional or infinitive phrases.

Exercise
Convert the following compound sentences into simple sentences.
1. You must take your medicine, otherwise you cannot get well.
2. The storm subsided and we continued our journey.
3. Not only the crops, but cattle and sheep also were destroyed by the flood.
4. He is rich, yet he is not happy.
Answers

1. You must take your medicine in order to get well.

2. The storm having subsided, we continued our journey.
3. Besides the crops, cattle and sheep were also destroyed by the flood.
4. In spite of being rich he is not happy.

Synthesis of sentences - II
Ways of combining two or more simple sentences into one simple sentence.

By using an infinitive

I have some work. I must do it tonight.

I have some work to do tonight.
You must help your brother. It is your duty.
It is your duty to help your brother.
It is very heavy. I cannot lift it.
It is too heavy for me to lift.

By using a noun or phrase in apposition

Mr Freddy is my tenant. He pays the rent regularly.
Mr Freddy, my tenant, pays the rent regularly.
He won the first prize in long jump, high jump and pole vault. It was a glorious
performance.
He won the first phrase in long jump, high jump and pole vault a glorious performance.
Stalin was the dictator of Russia. He had talks with Roosevelt and Churchill. Roosevelt was

the President of the US. Churchill was the Prime Minister of Britain.
Stalin, the dictator of Russia, had talks with Roosevelt, the President of the United Sates,
and Churchill, the prime Minister of Britain.
By using a preposition + noun or a gerund

He had many faults. But he was a good man at heart.

In spite of having many faults, he was a good man at heart.
Rossetti was a painter. He was also a poet.
Besides being a painter, Rossetti was also a poet.
He had a great deal of influence. But he could not get the job.
With all his influence, he could not get the job.

By using an adverb or an adverbial phrase

He will win the election. That is certain.

He will certainly win the election.
They decided to wind up the company. All agreed to this.
They unanimously decided to wind up the company.
By common consent they decided to wind up the company.

Synthesis of sentences - III

Ways of combining two or more simple sentences into one compound sentence

A compound sentence has two or more co-ordinate clauses. It can be formed only with the help of
coordinating conjunctions.
By using and, both and, not only but also, as well as

These conjunctions add one statement to another.

Peter got up. He went to the market.

Peter got up and went to the market.
He had many friends. He also had several enemies.
Not only had he many friends but also several enemies.
Tom passed the test. John also passed the test.
Tom as well as John passed the test.

By using but, yet, whereas, nevertheless

These conjunctions are used when contrasting statements have to be joined together.

He is ill. He is cheerful.
He is ill but he is cheerful.
He is rich. He is miserable.
He is rich, yet miserable.
Tom is ambitious. His brother is quite the reverse.
Tom is ambitious whereas his brother is quite the reverse.
There was little hope of success. They decided to perform the operation.
There was little hope of success, nevertheless they decided to perform the operation.

By using or, either or, nor, neither nor, otherwise, else

These conjunctions are used when two alternative facts or statements have to be presented.

You can have tea. You can have coffee.

You can have tea or coffee.
He is a fool. He is a madman.
He is either a fool or a mad man.
He doesnt smoke. He doesnt drink.
He neither smokes nor drinks.
He will not spend his money. He will not invest it.
He will neither spend his money nor invest it.
You must apologize. You will be punished.
You must apologize, otherwise you will be punished.

By using for, so

These are used when you have to make an inference from another statement or fact.

He must be asleep. There is no light in his room.

He must be asleep for there is no light in his room.
He has been working hard. He will pass.
He has been working hard so he will pass.

Synthesis of sentences - IV
Ways of combining two or more simple sentences into one complex sentence
A complex sentence must have a principal clause and one or more subordinate clauses. The
subordinate clause may be a noun clause, an adjective clause or an adverb clause.
Forming a complex sentence with a noun clause

We stand for peace. That should be known to everyday.

That we stand for peace should be known to everybody. OR It should be known to
everybody that we stand for peace.
He had failed. I told him that.
I told him that he had failed.
Where can we find the money for it? That is the question.
The question is where we can find the money.
Forming a complex sentence with an adjective clause

Connected by the relative pronouns who, which or that

The boy was caught. He had stolen the watch.

The boy who had stolen the watch was caught.
The man arrived on Friday. His name is John.
The man whose name is John arrived on Friday.
This is a fine opportunity. It should not be lost.

 This is a fine opportunity which should not be lost.

This is an old fort. It was built by Akbar.
This is an old fort that was built by Akbar.
Connected by the relative adverbs where, when and why

This is the house. The theft was committed there.

This is the house where the theft was committed.
His father died. At that time he was only eight.
At the time when his father died he was only eight.
You refused to sing. Can you tell me the reason?
Can you tell me the reason why you refused to sing?

Forming a complex sentence with an adverb clause

Connected by the subordinating conjunctions when, as, since, till, where, if, though, unless, that,
lest, whether, whereas etc.

I went there. The door was locked.

When I went there the door was locked.
There was little rain this year. The crops have dried up.
As there was little rain this year the crops have dried up.
He has expressed his regret. We will forget all about it.
Since he has expressed his regret, we will forget all about it.
You finish dressing. I will wait here.
I will wait here until you finish dressing.
There is heavy rainfall here. Grapes will not grow at such a place.
Grapes will not grow where there is heavy rainfall.
It may rain. Then the match will be cancelled.
If it rains, the match will be cancelled.

Dangling Modifiers and How To Correct Them

A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. A
modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept.
Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV.
"Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. In English sentences,
the doer must be the subject of the main clause that follows. In this sentence, it is Jill. She seems
logically to be the one doing the action ("having finished"), and this sentence therefore does not
have a dangling modifier.
The following sentence has an incorrect usage:
Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.
"Having finished" is a participle expressing action, but the doer is not the TV set (the subject of the
main clause): TV sets don't finish assignments. Since the doer of the action expressed in the
participle has not been clearly stated, the participial phrase is said to be a dangling modifier.

Strategies for revising dangling modifiers:

1. Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the main clause:
Having arrived late for practice, a written excuse was needed.
Who arrived late? This sentence says that the written excuse arrived late. To revise, decide who
actually arrived late. The possible revision might look like this:
Having arrived late for practice, the team captain needed a written excuse.
The main clause now names the person (the captain) who did the action in the modifying phrase
(arrived late).
2. Change the phrase that dangles into a complete introductory clause by naming the doer of the
action in that clause:
Without knowing his name, it was difficult to introduce him.
Who didn't know his name? This sentence says that "it" didn't know his name. To revise, decide
who was trying to introduce him. The revision might look something like this:
Because Maria did not know his name, it was difficult to introduce him.
The phrase is now a complete introductory clause; it does not modify any other part of the sentence,
so is not considered "dangling."
3. Combine the phrase and main clause into one:
To improve his results, the experiment was done again.
Who wanted to improve results? This sentence says that the experiment was trying to improve its
own results. To revise, combine the phrase and the main clause into one sentence. The revision
might look something like this:
He improved his results by doing the experiment again.
More examples of dangling modifiers and their revisions:
INCORRECT: After reading the original study, the article remains unconvincing.
REVISED: After reading the original study, I find the article unconvincing.
INCORRECT: Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, your home should be a place to relax.
REVISED: Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, you should be able to relax at home.
INCORRECT: The experiment was a failure, not having studied the lab manual carefully.
REVISED: They failed the experiment, not having studied the lab manual carefully.