RUN-ONS & COMMA SPLICES S-8

Transcription

1 A run-on sentence is two sentences written as one with no punctuation between the two sentences. A comma splice is two sentences written with a comma separating the two sentences. The only difference between a fused sentence and a comma splice is the comma. There are several ways to correct the following error: Fused Sentence: Comma Splice: English is a required course in most colleges a student must pass it before he earns his degree. English is a required course in most colleges, a student must pass it before he earns his degree. 1. Break the sentence in two. Simply put a period at the end of the first sentence and capitalize the first word of the second sentence. English is a required course in most colleges. A student must pass it before he earns his degree. 2. Make the sentence compound. There are two ways in which to do this. a. Connect the two independent clauses using a comma and a coordinating conjunction (remember FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). English is a required course in most colleges, and a student must pass it before he earns his degree. b. Connect the two independent clauses with a semicolon. A semicolon is a stronger mark of punctuation than a comma. English is a required course in most colleges; a student must pass it before he earns his degree. Remember that after the semi colon, the second independent clause begins with a small, not capital, letter. In either of these two methods of correction, you may want to add a transitional word to show the relationship between the two clauses. English is a required subject in most colleges; therefore, a student must pass it before he earns his degree. Revised Summer

2 3. Rewrite the sentence as a complex sentence. This change requires the addition of a subordinating conjunction to transform one of the independent clauses into a dependent clause. Because English is a required course, a student must pass it before he earns his degree. NOW YOU CAN PRACTICE. CHECK YOUR ANSWERS ON THE LAST PAGE OF THIS PACKET. EXERCISE 1: Correct the errors by adding a period (and capital), or a semicolon (no capital), or a comma and a conjunction (no capital). Remember that a comma alone will not do the job. Do not take out any words. 1. Every company demands certain things from its employees this one insists that they do a full day's work. 2. My bedroom's walls are very uneven they form odd angles which make hanging wallpaper a difficult task. 3. Alaska is usually terribly cold, however, it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. 4. My neighbor talks about me behind my back then, when she sees me on the street, she puts on a big smile and gives me a friendly greeting. 5. My block is in a low crime area, the trouble we have we create ourselves. 6. In order to study well students must be able to concentrate for example, it's hard to pay attention while the television is showing a loud, action program. 7. He left the pastry shop early then at noon he took the ferry to San Francisco. 8. There were some cars in the parking lot, one of them was mine. 9. Arranging a surprise party is hard you have to remember that people can unthinkingly give the secret away to the guest of honor. Revised Summer

3 EXERCISE 2: Make the necessary corrections in the following sentences. 1. Mr. Jackson took the 5:15 train he should be here any minute. 2. We hope to attend the banquet, we may be detained by business. 3. When I get to class, I shall talk to the teacher you should go with me. 4. I take the train my father drives to work. 5. I went to the store, Judy did her homework. 6. It requires good grades to get a scholarship not many students get good grades. 7. Students may borrow money, the amount they can borrow is limited. 8. Ann stayed at school to work on the paper then she walked home. 9. It was foggy we drove past the driveway. 10. Doug can't buy a car, he doesn't have the money. 11. First we went to Ann's house, then we walked home. 12. School is closed tomorrow I start work next week. 13. Dad found a pencil in his desk drawer, however, it was not his. 14. Rain had been falling for several days, therefore, the road was muddy. 15. It is a small paper, nevertheless, it has a large circulation. 16. This is a large classroom, thus, there is no need to crowd together, 17. The four friends decided to take a two-day hike along the trail, the boys lost the trail. 18. The second morning a swarm of hornets attacked the boys and sent them running the boys lost the trail. EXERCISE 3: Revised Summer

4 Make corrections in punctuation and capitalization in the sentences below. look at your fingertips and you will see small ridges in the skin the pattern of those ridges is different from anyone else's fingertips never change you can have your skin burned off your fingertips time and time again when the skin heals your fingertips are the same as they always were there are many different characteristics on each fingertip each finger has about 100 different marks no two fingers on the same hand are alike if you wished to find people with similar fingerprints you would have to examine the fingers of every human since time began everything that is touched by a person carries his fingerprints criminals are captured by the police because their fingerprints are found on objects associated with crime the Chinese were the first people to use fingerprinting thousand of years ago today all the countries use fingerprints to identify people the FBI in Washington has a collection of almost 160 million fingerprints no two are alike. Revised Summer

5 ANSWERS EXERCISE 1: 1. employees. This 2. uneven. They 3. cold; however employees, and this uneven, so they employees; this uneven; they 4. back. Then 5. area. The 6. concentrate; for back, and then area, but the back; then area; the 7. early. Then 8. lot. One 9. hard. You early, and then lot, and one hard, and you early; then lot; one hard; you EXERCISE 2: 1. train. He 2. banquet. We 3. teacher. You train, so he banquet, but we teacher, and you train; he banquet; we teacher; you 4. train. My 5. store. Judy 6. scholarship. Not train, but my store, and Judy scholarship, but train; my store; Judy scholarship; not 7. money. The 8. paper. Then 9. foggy. We money, but the paper, and then foggy, so we money; the paper; then foggy; we 10. car. He 11. house. Then 12. tomorrow. I car, for he house, and then tomorrow, and car; he house; then tomorrow; I 13. drawer; however, 14. days; therefore, 15. paper; nevertheless 16. classroom; thus, 17. trail. The 18. running. The trail, and the running, so the trail; the running; the Revised Summer

6 EXERCISE 3: Punctuation may vary. You may check with a tutor in the lab if your answers are different than those given. Look at your fingertips, and you will see small ridges in the skin. The pattern of those ridges is different from anyone else's. Fingertips never change. You can have your skin burned off your fingertips time and time again; when the skin heals, your fingerprints are the same as they always were. There are many different characteristics on each fingertip. Each finger has about 100 different marks. No two fingers on the same hand are alike. If you wished to find two people with similar fingerprints, you would have to examine the fingers of every human since time began. Everything that is touched by a person carries his fingerprints. Criminals are captured by the police because their fingerprints are found on objects associated with crime. The Chinese were the first people to use fingerprinting thousands of years ago. Today all the countries use fingerprints to identify people. The FBI in Washington has a collection of almost 160 million fingerprints; no two are alike. Revised Summer