Rein in those
Runaway Sentences!
Comma Splices and Fused
Sentences
Presented by Carol Dillon and Lynn Ramert
Punctuation is a tool we use to
communicate clearly.

No punctuation (green light) = go

Comma (yellow light) = slow down

Semicolon (flashing red light) = stop and then go

Period (red light) = complete stop
Use punctuation to make the
following letter make sense.
dear John I want a man who knows what
love is all about you are generous kind
thoughtful people who are not like you
admit to being useless and inferior you
have ruined me for other men I yearn for
you I have no feelings whatsoever when
we’re apart I can be forever happy will
you let me be yours Gloria
Eats, Shoots and Leaves, Truss
Here are two ways to punctuate
the letter, each with a distinct
meaning:

Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is all
about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who
are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You
have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have
no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart. I can be
forever happy—will you let me be yours? Gloria

Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is. All
about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who
are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You
have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have
no feelings whatsoever. When we’re apart, I can be
forever happy. Will you let me be? Yours, Gloria
http://www.wsu.edu/currents/teaching/ideas_list/dear_john.html
Definitions

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a
complete thought.

A subject is what the sentence is about.
John fishes.

A verb is a word that expresses an action or
links the subject to the rest of the sentence.
John is a great fisherman.
John fishes all day.
Definitions

Clause – a group of words containing a subject and
a verb that indicates time
Independent: Can stand
alone as a sentence
Dependent: Depends on another
clause and cannot stand alone
John fishes.

While John was
fishing at the creek.
Fragment – a group of words that is missing a
subject and/or verb
Fished all day at the creek.
Definitions

Conjunction – a word that joins words,
phrases, clauses, or sentences
Salt and pepper
Up the hill and over the bridge
John fished, but he didn’t catch anything.

To remember the seven coordinating conjunctions,
remember FANBOYS = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

There are also subordinating conjunctions used to make
a clause dependent such as because, after, although,
while, when, if.
Fragment
A fragment is an incomplete thought and,
therefore, an incomplete sentence.

fix by making sure there is a clear subject and a
verb that indicates time
Shoes belonging to our fellow partygoers in the
basement. (fragment)
The shoes in the basement belonged to our
fellow partygoers. (complete sentence)
Fused Sentences
A fused sentence is two independent clauses glued
together. There are several ways to fix a fused sentence.

fix with a period
Eric walked every day for two weeks he lost ten pounds.
(fused sentence)
Eric walked every day for two weeks. He lost ten
pounds. (short, choppy sentences)

fix with a comma + FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
so)
Benson was guarding me this time the coach had to run
a few plays for me. (fused sentence)
Benson was guarding me this time, so the coach had to
run a few plays for me.
Fused Sentences

fix with a semicolon (if you have two
independent clauses closely related in meaning)
I started to laugh he was not amused by it.
(fused sentence)
I started to laugh; he was not amused by it.

fix by making one clause dependent
We couldn’t go to the lake yesterday it started
to rain. (fused sentence)
We couldn’t go to the lake yesterday because it
started to rain.
Comma Splice
A comma splice is a fused sentence with a comma
incorrectly placed between two complete thoughts.

Fix the same way as you would a fused sentence:
– with a comma + FANBOYS
– with a semicolon
– by making one clause dependent
I can’t even explain how or why it happened, I
guess one would say that peer pressure was at
fault. (comma splice)
Comma Splice
I can’t even explain how or why it
happened, I guess one would say that
peer pressure was at fault. (comma splice)
Fix with a comma + FANBOYS
I can’t even explain how or why it happened, but I guess one would
say that peer pressure was at fault.
Fix with a semicolon
I can’t even explain how or why it happened; I guess one would say
that peer pressure was at fault.
Fix by making one clause dependent
Although I can’t even explain how or why it happened, I guess one
would say that peer pressure was at fault.
A Special Case

independent clauses joined by words like
“however”
That was one thing that I hoped would
have stayed on the court, (IC) however it
followed me down the halls. (IC)
That was one thing that I hoped would
have stayed on the court; however, it
followed me down the halls.