CHAPTER 8 Punctuation Builds Sentences^183
Written Practice 8-6
Read the following paragraphs. Eliminate the choppy sentences by creating
compound or complex sentences. Insert a comma plus conjunction or just a
semicolon where necessary.
- We have always bought our baby educational toys. Manufacturers of those
toys make extravagant claims about verbal skill building. Researchers have
studied the toys. They concluded that the toys did not increase vocabulary.
We buy expensive toys. We expect them to live up to their advertising. - Back problems are common. It’s a result of our walking upright. It’s also
because of degenerative changes in the spine. That’s because walking
upright places a great deal of weight on the lower spine. In middle age,
some changes can occur. Arthritis and other changes affect the disks.
Compound-Complex Sentences
You will understand why compound-complex sentences require punctuation after
you read some examples. Begin by noting that compound-complex sentences con-
tain at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. For
example:
Though Rachel usually prefers watching tennis on TV, she watched the World
Series, and she enjoyed it very much.According to the previous defi nition, you should be able to fi nd two independent
clauses in the sentence: