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ENGL 0008 Unit 2 Lesson Correcting Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices

The document discusses run-on sentences and comma splices, which are common errors in writing. A run-on sentence occurs when two complete sentences are joined without proper punctuation, such as a period. A comma splice incorrectly uses only a comma to join two complete sentences. The document provides examples of these errors and their corrections by separating the sentences with periods or using conjunctions. It emphasizes that reading writing aloud can help identify these errors and that proper punctuation between complete sentences is needed for clarity.

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58 views11 pages

ENGL 0008 Unit 2 Lesson Correcting Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices

The document discusses run-on sentences and comma splices, which are common errors in writing. A run-on sentence occurs when two complete sentences are joined without proper punctuation, such as a period. A comma splice incorrectly uses only a comma to join two complete sentences. The document provides examples of these errors and their corrections by separating the sentences with periods or using conjunctions. It emphasizes that reading writing aloud can help identify these errors and that proper punctuation between complete sentences is needed for clarity.

Uploaded by

Med Student
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Unit 2

Correcting Run-on Sentences


and Comma Splices
Why Is The Following Paragraph Difficult To
Read?
Listening is an important part of communication we find these days
that many people express their opinions without listening to what
others are saying there is no real opportunity for people to learn from
one another or be open to changing their minds we seem to have
forgotten that you have to connect with people before you can have a
conversation with them talking to another person without being
aware of who they are and what they think results in speeches not
dialogue.
Is This Easier To Read?
Listening is an important part of communication. We find these days
that many people express their opinions without listening to what
others are saying, and so there is no real opportunity for people to
learn from one another or be open to changing their minds. We seem
to have forgotten that you have to connect with people before you
can have a conversation with them. Talking to another person without
being aware of who he or she is and what he or she thinks results in
speeches not dialogue.
Notice how using a period to end one sentence and a capital letter
to begin another makes the paragraph easier to read. You will also
hear a pause after a period when someone is speaking English or
reading out loud. You will hear a smaller pause after a comma.
Run-on Sentences
A common type of error in writing is a run-on sentence. A run-on
sentence occurs when a writer does not use a period to end one
sentence and a capital letter to begin another, as in the following:
I am often late for work I can’t get organized in the morning.

“I am often late for work” is a complete sentence with a subject (I)


and a predicate (am).
“I can’t get organized in the morning” is a complete sentence with a
subject (I) and predicate (can’t get).
Correcting Run-on Sentences
A sentence can be read more easily when a period and capital letter
are used to end one sentence and begin another. Note the
correction:
I am often late for work. I can’t get organized in the morning.

You may also connect these sentences into one sentence with a
joining word (conjunction):
I am often late for work because I can’t get organized in the morning.
Comma Splices
A comma splice is another common sentence error where a writer
uses a comma to join two complete sentences instead of a period
and capital letter to create two sentences. The following sentence is
a comma splice and is incorrectly written:
The child sat next to the old man, the old man smiled sadly.

“The child sat next to the old man” is a complete sentence with a
subject (child) and a predicate (sat).
“The old man smiled sadly” is a complete sentence with a subject
(man) and predicate (smiled).
Correcting Comma Splices
Two complete sentences must be separated by a period and capital
letter, not just a comma. A comma denotes a small pause in a
sentence, not a stop between ideas. Note the correction:
The child sat next to the old man. The old man smiled sadly.

You may also connect these sentences into one sentence with a
joining word (conjunction):
The child sat next to the old man, and the old man smiled sadly.
Which Of These Sentences Is Incorrect?
A.Many countries are experiencing the impacts of global warming,
there are no easy solutions to the climate crisis.
B.Exercise is critical to good health, yet many people are unable to
include exercise in their busy lifestyles.
A Is Incorrect.
Many countries are experiencing the impacts of global warming,
there are no easy solutions to the climate crisis.

This sentence has two complete sentences separated by only a


comma. If you read the sentence out loud, you can hear where one
sentence should end and the other should begin. Note the
corrections:
Many countries are experiencing the impacts of global warming.
There are no easy solutions to the climate crisis.
Many countries are experiencing the impacts of global warming, but
there are no easy solutions to the climate crisis.
B Is Correct.
Exercise is critical to good health, yet many people are unable to
include exercise in their busy lifestyles.

This sentence has two complete sentences, but the joining word
(conjunction) “yet” connects the sentences. Joining words, such as
“and,” “but,” “so,” “because,” “when,” connect sentences correctly
and help your sentences read smoothly.
How Can I Use This Lesson To Improve My
Writing?
• Read your paragraphs and essays carefully to look for run-on
sentences and comma splices. Often you can find these errors more
easily if you read your writing out loud.
• Make sure that you use a period at the end of every sentence and a
capital letter to begin a new sentence, or use a joining word
(conjunction) to connect ideas into one sentence.

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