Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature Practice Exam

What is the structure of a compound sentence?

1. Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction

2. An independent clause and multiple dependent clauses

3. A single simple clause

4. Two dependent clauses connected by a semicolon

The correct answer is: Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction

A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction, such as "and," "but," or "or." This structure allows for the combination of two complete thoughts, enabling the writer to convey a more complex idea without loss of clarity or meaning. For example, in the sentence "I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain," both parts can stand alone as complete sentences, yet they are effectively linked to illustrate a relationship between the ideas. In contrast, the other options describe different types of sentence structures: an independent clause combined with multiple dependent clauses would create a complex sentence, while a single simple clause would represent a straightforward statement. Finally, two dependent clauses connected by a semicolon would not form a grammatically correct structure, as dependent clauses cannot stand alone and semicolons are used to connect independent clauses. Thus, the correct definition of a compound sentence is the one that identifies it as containing two independent clauses joined by a conjunction.