A compound sentence is a type of sentence that contains at least two independent clauses, which are complete thoughts that can stand alone. These clauses are usually connected by coordinating conjunctions such as and, but, or or. For example, "I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain." Each part of the sentence can function independently, but they are combined to show a relationship between the ideas. Using compound sentences can enhance writing by adding variety and complexity. They allow writers to express more than one idea in a single sentence, making the text more engaging. For instance, "She loves to read, and he enjoys writing" connects two related thoughts, illustrating the interests of both subjects.