Compound sentence – phrase composée
Let's Define It!
What's a *compound sentence*?
A compound sentence (une phrase composée) is a sentence with two or more clauses.
- J'ai mangé mon repas et j'ai encore faim, mais je dois reprendre le travail.. / I ate my meal and I am still hungry, but I must resume work again..
As you can see from the above example, the key element to remember here is that in a phrase composée, the clauses are independent of each other, unlike a complex sentence in which a subordinate clause must rely on a main one.
Also, the clauses within the compound sentence are called coordinate clauses because they are introduced by but and et.
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Let's Pronounce It!
What does it sound like in French?
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Let's Have an Example or Two!
Can a little reinforcement do the trick?
In the following example, we can see a compound sentence with several clauses independent of each other connected by cordianate conjunctions:
- Elle prit sa main et la posa sur sa poitrine, mais il l'enleva. / She took his hand and placed it on his chest, but he removed it.
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