The beach traffic is usually heavy in summer. This weekend was an exception.
(Combine into a compound sentence.)

The beach traffic is usually heavy in summer, but this weekend was an exception.

Explanation:

Adding the comma plus the coordinating conjunction 'but' serves to connect two simple sentences to make one compound sentence.

The other coordinating conjunctions are: and, yet, so, or, for, nor.

she learned to understand that physical beauty wasn’t as important as being a good person.

third person

explanation:

note the usage of names and pronouns, "james" & "the old man". this alone can confirm it as third person, as first person uses "i" and the like, while second person uses "you" and the like.

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