Which of the following sentences correctly uses a compound sentence structure?
A.
The professor enjoyed reading, cycling, and listening to jazz music.
B.
After they played basketball all day, the girls were very tired.
C.
Although he would have gone to the movie that his friends recommended, he had house chores to finish.
D.
He liked to cook at home, but she preferred to eat at restaurants.
D. He liked to cook at home, but she preferred to eat at restaurants.
Explanation:
A compound sentence is composed of two or more independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction (e.g., and, but, or). Sentence D correctly uses this structure, with “He liked to cook at home” and “she preferred to eat at restaurants” being the two independent clauses joined by the conjunction “but.”
Here’s why the other sentences do not fit the definition of a compound sentence:
- A. The professor enjoyed reading, cycling, and listening to jazz music.
This sentence is a simple sentence with a list of activities, not a compound sentence. - B. After they played basketball all day, the girls were very tired.
This is a complex sentence because it contains a dependent clause (“After they played basketball all day”) and an independent clause (“the girls were very tired”). - C. Although he would have gone to the movie that his friends recommended, he had house chores to finish.
This is a complex sentence, as it contains a dependent clause (“Although he would have gone to the movie that his friends recommended”) and an independent clause (“he had house chores to finish”).