Sentence Combining Lab
Pick a pair of simple sentences, then combine them into one sentence using the target strategy. Reveal your check to see whether you used the right connector and avoided a comma splice, then compare your sentence to a model combination.
Guided Experiment: Combine Two Simple Sentences
Hypothesis
Setup
Run Experiment
Analyze
Conclude
Which combining strategy do you predict will read most naturally for this sentence pair?
Write your hypothesis in the Lab Report panel, then click Next.
Controls
Simple Sentences
- The team practiced every day.
- They lost the championship game.
Insert a connector
0 / 500
0 / 500
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Reference Guide
5 Combining Strategies
- Coordination. Join two independent clauses with a comma and a FANBOYS word, as in "The rain fell all afternoon, but the game continued anyway."
- Subordination. Turn one sentence into a dependent clause with a word like although or because, as in "Although the team practiced every day, they lost the game."
- Relative clause. Fold one sentence into the other with who, which, or that, as in "The scientist discovered a new species, which lives in deep-sea vents."
- Appositive. Set off a renaming phrase with commas, as in "Maria, the team captain, called the final play."
- Participial phrase. Open with a reduced participle describing the subject, as in "Exhausted, the hikers still finished the trail."
How to Use This Lab
- Pick a sentence set and a difficulty level.
- Read the two simple sentences and combine them in the textarea.
- In Learn or Practice mode, use the connector buttons for a hint.
- Reveal your check, then compare your sentence to the model sentence.
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