How to Combine Sentences

Combining two short, related sentences will make your writing and speaking more interesting and organized. You’ll also be able to make your point more clearly.

This isn’t meant to make you write long, painful sentences. Actually, combining two sentences will actually leave you with a shorter sentence than you started with!

You can combine sentences that show cause and effect, to make one compound sentence.

Use “because” as a combining word to show why something is true.

“She was late.”

Why?

“Her train wasn’t running.”

Combined: She was late because her train wasn’t running.

Putting two sentences together with because shows the cause and effect of a situation.

You could also write: Because her train wasn’t running, she was late.

In this case, you need to use a comma to combine the two thoughts.

The “because” is in the beginning of the sentence, and the cause of the action needs to stay with it.

Otherwise, you will have a different sentence: “Because she was late, her train wasn’t running.”

There are other combining words that bring two related sentences together:

after, although, before, how, if/then, since, though, when, where, whether, which, while

Alana went to the store. Alana forgot to buy apples.

Although Alana went to the store, she forgot to buy apples.

Jorge loves eating Italian food. He thinks Italian food goes well with wine.

Jorge loves eating Italian food, which he thinks goes well with wine.

There are also FANBOYS conjuctions.

for, and, not, but, or, so.

Alexei is handsome. He is also very polite.

Alexei is handsome and very polite.

Girard’s favorite movie is Star Wars. He doesn’t like other sci fi.

Girard’s favorite movie is Star Wars, but he doesn’t like other sci fi.

 You can learn more about all types of grammar at one of our general English courses. You can focus on your strengths and weaknesses with your teachers in structured study sessions!

Is there anything you find confusing about combining sentences? Have you learned any memory tricks for how to combine sentences correctly? Let us know in the comments!