ENG4U Grammar Workshop Run-on Sentences & Comma Splices

ENG4UGrammar Workshop

Run-on Sentences

& Comma Splices

Run-on Sentences

are independent clauses that have not been joined correctly.

An independent clause is a word group that can stand alone as a sentence.

Types of run-on sentences

1. Comma splice – a special type of run-on sentence (discussed separately)

Types of run-on sentences

2. Fused sentence – two independent clauses joined with no punctuation

Wrong: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream Lisa prefers vanilla.

Types of run-on sentences

3. “And” run-on – two or more independent clauses joined with coordinating conjunctions without punctuation

Wrong: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream but Lisa prefers vanilla.

Comma splices

are a special type of run-on sentence where two independent clauses are joined using only a comma (without a coordinating conjunction).

Wrong: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream, Lisa prefers vanilla.

Correcting run-on sentences AND comma splices

There are 5 ways to correct: Join the independent clauses with a coordinating

conjunction AND a comma Join the independent clauses with a semicolon if they

are closely related Make the independent clauses into separate

sentences Restructure the sentence by turning one of the

independent clauses into a dependent clause Transform the clauses into a single independent

clause

Correction method 1

Use a comma and coordinating conjunction

Wrong: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream, Lisa prefers vanilla. (Comma splice)

Correct: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream, but Lisa prefers vanilla.

Correction method 2

Use a semicolon with closely related independent clauses

Wrong: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream Lisa prefers vanilla. (Fused Sentence)

Correct: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream; Lisa prefers vanilla.

Correction method 3

Make the independent clauses into separate sentences

Wrong: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream Lisa prefers vanilla. (Fused Sentence)

Correct: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream. Lisa prefers vanilla.

Correction method 4

Subordinate one of the independent clauses (making it a dependent clause)

Wrong: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream, Lisa prefers vanilla. (Comma Splice)

Correct: Although Jamie likes chocolate ice cream, Lisa prefers vanilla.

Correction method 5

Transform the clauses into a single independent clause

Wrong: Jamie likes chocolate ice cream Lisa prefers vanilla. (Fused Sentence)

Correct: Jamie, unlike Lisa who prefers vanilla, likes chocolate ice cream.

Conjunctions

Remember the difference between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

Coordinating conjunctions

draw equal attention to two or more ideas

Join independent clauses:

My grandmother is blind, but her hearing is sharp.

FANBOYS –

Use the acronym “FANBOYS” to help you identify coordinating conjunctions

for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Subordinating conjunctions

give unequal attention to two or more ideas

join a dependent clause to an independent clause:

Although my grandmother is blind, her hearing is sharp.

A long list!

There are many subordinating conjunctions. Here are a few:

after if until while

although since when which

As that where whom

because though before unless