Compound Sentences and Run Ons

A simple sentence tells one complete thought.

A compound sentence is made up of two or more simple sentences.

Sadie liked orange juice, but her brother prefers apple juice.

Do you want to go to the zoo, or should we go to the museum?

Alejandro collects Pokémon cards, and Adam collects stray cats.

Sadie liked orange juice, but her brother prefers apple juice.

The underlined part of each sentence could stand on its own as a simple sentence.

To combine the two sentences, you need a comma and a conjunction (and, or, but).

A compound sentence is made of two or more simple sentences.

Compound sentences are combined with a comma and a conjunction.