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COMMA SPLICES &
RUN-ONS
How to correct and prevent these common sentence construction errors.

Sentence
Reminder
◦ Complete sentences MUST include a subject and a
predicate.
◦ Identify the main subject, verb and complete idea
within a sentence to write correct sentence.
◦ Correct sentence fragments (incomplete sentences).
◦ Sometimes dependent clauses trick us into thinking they
are complete sentences.

Sentence
Reminder:
Subjects | Predicates
◦ The subject identifies the ACTOR in the sentence.
◦ Who is engaging in the action of the sentence?
◦ Examples:
◦ She sang.
◦ Andrea played violin for the audience
while the main act tuned their instruments.
◦ The predicate identifies the ACTION in the
sentence.
◦ What is the subject doing in the sentence?
◦ Examples:
◦ She sang.
◦ Andrea played violin for the audience
while the main act tuned their instruments.

Sentence
Reminder:
More than the sum of its parts
Subject + predicate + complete thought=
Complete Sentence!
Andrea played violin for the audience while the main
act tuned their instruments.

Sentence
Reminder:
Be careful with dependent clauses
that include a subject and a verb.
They cannot act as a complete
sentence. See the underlined
example.
Subject + predicate + dependent clause (completes
thought)=Complete Sentence!
Andrea played violin for the audience. While the main
(Complete sentence followed by a fragment.)

Sentence
Reminder:
Fragments | Dependent Clauses
◦ Correct sentence fragments (incomplete sentences).
◦ Sometimes dependent clauses trick us into thinking they
are complete sentences.
◦ Examples:
◦ Since it is time... (What will happen now?)
◦ When you get to Charlotte... (What will happen?)
◦ If you come to the concert... (What happens then?)
◦ After next fall... (What happens after next fall?!)

Sentence
Reminder:
Subordinate Conjunctions
Wait, don't these examples have a subject and a verb?!
Why aren't they sentences?
◦ It is because they are subordinate conjunctions.
◦ Since it is time...
◦ When you get to Charlotte...
◦ If you come to the concert...
◦ Because we still need money...

Sentence
Reminder:
Subordinate conjunctions accomplish these tasks:
1. They connect two sentences.
2. They make one sentence depend on the other. This
means one part of the sentence is a dependent
clause.
◦ Dependent clauses can be place at the beginning of a
sentence too!
◦ Example:
◦ Because my car was out of gas, I rode my bike.
◦ I rode my bike because my car was out of gas.
3. They show relationships.

Sentence
Reminder:
Subordinate conjunctions show these relationships:
Cause & effect: since, so, because
Compare & contrast: even though, though, whereas, while,
although
Place & in what way: how, however, where, wherever
Conditional: if, unless, whether
Relative: that, which, who
Time: before, when, after, as, whenever, while, until

Run-ons
A run-on fuses two complete
thoughts (sentences) together
without separating them with
punctuation or conjunctions.
Example run-on errors:
My favorite movie is The Neverending
Story the character Atreyu is my hero.
My brother does a great impersonation
of Kermit the Frog he has always had a
gift for useless talents.

How to Correct
Run-ons
Option 1
Place a period at the end of the
first complete thought to form
two separate sentence.
Example run-on error:
My favorite movie is The Neverending Story the
character Atreyu is my hero.
Correction:
My favorite movie is The Neverending Story. The

How to Correct
Run-ons
Option 2:
Add a comma and coordinating
conjunction OR a semicolon.
Ex. My favorite movie is The Neverending Story the
Correction: My favorite movie is The Neverending Story,
and the character Atreyu is my hero.
My favorite movie is The Neverending Story; the

Comma Splices
A comma splice occurs when the
writer joins two or more
complete sentences with a
comma only.
Example comma splice errors:
My favorite movie is The Neverending Story, the character
Atreyu is my hero.
My brother does a great impersonation of Kermit the Frog,
he has always had a gift for useless talents.

How to Correct
Comma Splices
Add a coordinating conjunction
after the comma OR change the
comma into a semicolon.
Example comma splice error:
My favorite movie is The Neverending Story, the character Atreyu is my
hero.
Correction:
My favorite movie is The Neverending Story, and the character Atreyu is
my hero.
My favorite movie is The Neverending Story; the character Atreyu is
my hero.

How to Correct
Comma Splices
Add a coordinating conjunction
after the comma OR change the
comma into a semicolon.
Example comma splice error:
My brother does a great impersonation of Kermit the Frog, he has always had a gift for
useless talents.
Correction:
My brother does a great impersonation of Kermit the Frog, and he has always had a gift
for useless talents.
My brother does a great impersonation of Kermit the Frog; he has always had a gift for
useless talents.

Read this run-on:
• Dwayne checked his essay for errors before turning it in he felt
certain he would get a good grade.
Which makes this sentence correct?
A. Dwayne checked his essay for errors, before turning it in, he felt certain he would get a good grade.
B. Dwayne checked his essay for errors before turning it in: he felt certain he would get a good grade.
C. Dwayne checked his essay for errors before turning it in; he felt certain that he would get a good grade.
D. Dwayne checked his essay for errors before turning it in he felt certain he would get a good grade.

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Comma splices and run ons

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