Compound Sentences Worksheets: Conjunctions and Commas

About this resource

What's inside this resource

Ten sentences are labeled simple or compound before students combine short sentence pairs using and, but, or, and so across four dedicated drill pages, one conjunction per page. A further page has students add a coordinating conjunction to eleven cloze sentences, and another has them rewrite eleven more sentence pairs with correct comma-and-conjunction punctuation. A final page asks students to extend eleven sentence starters into full compound sentences of their own choosing. The nine-page core worksheet set is supplemented by nine additional image pages.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Distinguish simple sentences from compound sentences
Combine two short sentences into one compound sentence using a specified conjunction
Punctuate a compound sentence correctly with a comma and coordinating conjunction
Write an original compound sentence given a sentence starter

Teaching tips

Work through the four single-conjunction pages (and/but/or/so) in order before the mixed practice, since each isolates one conjunction at a time
Use the labeling page as a quick formative check before moving into the combining exercises
Preview the nine additional image pages before class

Skills covered

Simple vs. compound sentence identification — students label ten sentences as C for compound or S for simple.
Sentence combining — students join short sentence pairs using and, but, or, and so across four dedicated pages.
Compound sentence punctuation — students rewrite sentence pairs with a correctly placed comma and conjunction.
Coordinating conjunction selection — students choose the correct conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to complete eleven cloze sentences.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

What distinguishes the four sentence-combining pages from one another?

Each page practices joining two short sentences with one specific conjunction in turn (and, then but, then or, then so), before later pages mix multiple conjunctions and add correct punctuation.

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Curriculum

Standards, concepts & topics

Standards

CCSS.L.3.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences. b. Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns. c. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). d. Form and use regular and irregular verbs. e. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses. f. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.* g. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. h. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. i. Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
CCSS.L.2.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Use collective nouns (e.g., group). b. Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish). c. Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves). d. Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told). e. Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. f. Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).

Core concepts

compound sentences
coordinating conjunctions
sentence combining

Topics

compound sentences commas and conjunctions coordinating conjunctions grammar worksheets sentence combining punctuation practice

More to explore

Compound Sentences Worksheets with Conjunctions and Commas

What's inside this resource