1. Coordinating conjunctions: These are words like *and*, *but*, *or*, *nor*, *for*, *so*, and *yet*. They connect two independent clauses of equal grammatical weight.
* Example: "The dog barked loudly, and the cat hissed in response."
2. Semicolons: This punctuation mark indicates a close relationship between the two independent clauses, but not as strong as a conjunction.
* Example: "The storm raged on; the trees swayed violently in the wind."
3. Conjunctive adverbs: These are words like *however*, *therefore*, *moreover*, *furthermore*, *consequently*, *nevertheless*, etc. They connect two independent clauses and show a relationship between them.
* Example: "The movie was long; however, it was very entertaining."
4. Colon: Used when the second clause explains or expands upon the first clause.
* Example: "The team had one goal: to win the championship."
While technically not a way to "connect" two sentences, a comma splice is often confused with using a conjunction, but it's incorrect. This occurs when two independent clauses are separated by a comma without a conjunction.
Remember: Always double-check your sentences to ensure you're using the correct punctuation and conjunctions to connect your ideas effectively.