Question

which sentence uses a comma to create a compound sentence? select the best answer.

david could follow in his fathers footsteps, or he could follow his own career path. he dreamed of joining a band, or starting his own theater company. he could move to new york and audition or, he could take a summer job at his fathers company.

answer

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david could follow in his fathers footsteps, or he could follow his own career path. he dreamed of joining a band, or starting his own theater company. he could move to new york and audition or, he could take a summer job at his fathers company.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Compound Sentences and Coordinating Conjunctions
Two complete thoughts joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

Step 1: Understand the rule for compound sentences

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses (complete thoughts that can stand alone as sentences) joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so—often remembered by the acronym FANBOYS).

The structure must look like this:

$$ \text{Independent Clause} + \text{, [coordinating conjunction]} + \text{Independent Clause} $$

If the clauses on either side of the comma cannot stand alone as complete sentences, it is not a compound sentence.

Step 2: Analyze the options

Let's look at each sentence in the text:

1. Sentence 1: "David could follow in his father's footsteps, or he could follow his own career path."

• First part: "David could follow in his father's footsteps" (Complete thought / Independent clause)
• Conjunction: or (preceded by a comma)
• Second part: "he could follow his own career path" (Complete thought / Independent clause)
• Verdict: This is a correctly structured compound sentence.

1. Sentence 2: "He dreamed of joining a band, or starting his own theater company."

• First part: "He dreamed of joining a band" (Complete thought)
• Second part: "starting his own theater company" (Not a complete thought; it lacks a subject)
• Verdict: This is a single sentence with a compound predicate, and the comma before "or" is actually incorrect here.

1. Sentence 3: "He could move to New York and audition or, he could take a summer job at his father's company."

• Verdict: The comma is placed incorrectly after the conjunction "or" rather than before it.

Answer:

David could follow in his father's footsteps, or he could follow his own career path.