How To Combine 2 Sentences

Combining two sentences is useful to make the paragraph looks simple. We can combine to sentences using the words “too, so, either, and neither.”

How to combine the two sentences?

The following paragraph is illustrated to describe how to combine two sentences having the same condition.

Last night I accepted many guests in my house. They were two girls and three boys. Putri, Rifa, Fiki, Angger, and Hendrik came to study English. Something that made me a bit concern was about the two girls. The two girls, Putri and Rifa looked the same. Putri wore a red shirt and so did Rifa. Rifa brought a handphone and Putri did too. Their eyes were similar. Rifa’s eyes weren’t slanting, and Putri’s weren’t either. Putri didn’t bring her dictionary and neither did Rifa. But they were different in hair style. Rifa’s hair was short but Putri's was long.

Notice these sentences in the paragraph:

• Putri wore a red shirt and so did Rifa.
• Rifa brought a handphone and Putri did too.
• Rifa’s eyes weren’t slanting, and Putri’s weren’t either.
• Putri didn’t bring her dictionary and neither did Rifa.

Each sentence is two actually. They are compressed and become simpler. 

“Putri wore a red shirt and so did Rifa” is a combination from these two sentences: “Putri wore a red shirt. Rifa wore a red shirt.” They have the same situation. They are combined using the words “and” and “so.” 

The sentence “Rifa brought a handphone and Putri did too” has two sentences and combined using the words “and” and “too”

The sentence “Rifa’s eyes weren’t slanting, and Putri’s weren’t either” has the same situation but it is in negative statement. So it is combined using the word “and” and either.”

The sentence “Putri didn’t bring her dictionary and neither did Rifa” is the other way to say the two sentences that have the same situation in negative sentence.

Please learn the following example. The bold type shows that the situation between two sentences is similar.

The doctor was on time. The nurses were on time

• The doctor was on time, and the nurses were too
• The doctor was on time, and so were the nurses

Linda bought an album. Betty bought an album.

• Linda bought an album, and Betty did too.
• Linda bought an album, and so did Betty

You like mangoes. Indra likes mangoes

• You like mangoes, and Indra does too
• You like mangoes, and so does Indra.

 

Dogs can eat vegetables. Cats can eat vegetables.

• Dogs can eat vegetables, and cats can too.
• Dogs can eat vegetables, and so can cats.

 

We haven’t eaten yet. Father hasn’t eaten yet.

• We haven’t eaten yet, and father hasn’t either.
• We haven’t eaten yet, and neither has father.

 

Mita is not 17 years old. I am not 17 years old.

• Mita is not 17 years old, and I am not either.
• Mita is not 17 years old, and neither am I.

The conclusion:

• To combine, the two sentences must have similar situation.
• Use “too” or “so” to combine positive sentences.
• Use “neither” or “either” to combine negative sentences.
• The auxiliary depends on the sentences. Present tense uses “do/does,” Past tense uses “did,” Present continuous tense uses “is/am/are,” Present Perfect uses “have/has/had,” Sentences with modal uses “can, could, may, might, must.”