Question

(1) Most Americans know that “Uncle Sam” is a nickname for the United States; however, few Americans know how the name originated. (2) Some historians believe the name comes from a nineteenth-century businessman from New York. (3) His real name was Samuel Wilson. (4) His neighbors called him Uncle Sam. (5) During the War of 1812, he won a government contract. (6) He was to supply beef to U.S. soldiers. (7) The beef was packed in barrels labeled “U.S.” to show that they belonged to the U.S. government. (8) Soldiers from New York saw the barrels. (9) They jokingly said “U.S.” stood for Uncle Sam. (10) The joke spread. (11) Soon, soldiers began using the nickname Uncle Sam to refer to the United States. (12) Civilians also began using the nickname Uncle Sam to refer to the United States. (13) In 1961, Congress passed a resolution. (14) The resolution recognized Samuel Wilson as the original Uncle Sam.

Which is the most effective way to combine sentences (3) and (4)?

Answer 1

*Most people called him uncle Sam, but his real name Samuel Wilson.

Answer 2

Answer: The most effective way to combine sentences 3 and 4 is using a comma followed by the coordinating conjunction "but" to join them: "His real name was Samuel Wilson, but his neighbors called him Uncle Sam".

Explanation: As (3) and (4) stand alone as sentences, they can be joined by creating a compound sentence, that is to say a sentence made up of two independent clauses. In that way, "His real name was Samuel Wilson" would be the first clause and "His neighbors called him Uncle Sam" would be the second one. However, in order for a compound sentence to be correctly written, a comma and a coordinating conjunction are needed. In this case, the coordinating conjunction "but" could be added between both clauses since this word is used to connect ideas that contrast. Therefore, the most effective way to combine sentences 3 and 4 is writing "His real name was Samuel Wilson, but his neighbors called him Uncle Sam".