In constructing and revising sentences, you have many choices. You can establish or relocate the emphasis, and you can vary shades of meaning. You can also enliven your writing by experimenting with arrangements and combinations of words, phrases, and clauses.
One way to show logical connections between idea and to smooth out choppy rhythm is to combine sentences. Before you combine ideas, however you must make judgments about what information is more important, less important or of equal importance. The kind of combining strategy you choose depends on this information.
Combining Ideas of Equal Importance
If two ideas are equal in importance, use coordination to combine them. You can coordinate words, phrases, and clauses.
Words - China and Japan
Phrases - anxious to travel yet afraid to fly
Clauses - I adore London but Paris makes me sad
Strategies
1. Use a semicolon alone to coordinate complete sentences that you want to combine when their relationship is clear.
2. Use a coordinating conjunction that conveys the appropriate kind of balance. The coordinating conjunctions are and, but, or, not, for and yet. Each of these set up a different relationship between the elements.
3. Use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb to coordinate independent clauses. Adverbs that join ideas include consequently, furthermore, however, nevertheless, otherwise, therefore, finally, indeed and thus.
Combining Ideas of Unequal Importance
Frequently you'll want to show a connection between ideas that are not equally important. Subordination allows you to show how the main idea in a sentence is supported, developed, or caused by another idea.
Strategies
1. Put a related idea in an adjective clause. Adjective clauses, which modify nouns or pronouns, often begin with relative pronouns. Relative pronouns are that, which, who, whom and whose.
2. Turn one idea into a participle phrase. It will act as a adjective to a noun or pronoun.
3. Include a detail of one sentence as an appositive phrase in another. This acts as a noun explaining another noun.
4. Use a subordinating conjunction that conveys the appropriate kind of relationship between your ideas.