Here's a breakdown:
* Compound sentence: Two or more independent clauses joined together.
* Independent clause: A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a complete thought.
* Conjunction: A word that connects words, phrases, or clauses (like "and," "but," "or," "so," "yet," "for").
Example:
* "The cat sat on the mat, and the dog chased its tail."
Here, "The cat sat on the mat" and "the dog chased its tail" are both independent clauses. They are connected by the conjunction "and," and a comma is placed before the conjunction.
Important note: This rule applies to most compound sentences. However, there are some exceptions, such as short sentences or sentences where the conjunction connects very closely related ideas.