Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

English 15

English 20

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices are the most common errors on college writing, and they are the basically the same type of error. Two sentences have been combined into one sentence.

In a Run-on Sentence, two sentences have been combined without any punctuation between them.

We went to Disneyland on Monday and we went to Knott's on Tuesday.
I enjoy taking classes at Cerritos College it is a good school

In a Comma Splice, two sentences have been combined with a comma instead of a period.

The Lion King is a terrific show, the costumes are amazing.
I can't wait to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific, I hear good things about it.

There are four ways to correct Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices.

1. You can put a period and start a new sentence

I enjoy taking classes at Cerritos College. It is a good school.

2. You can use a semi-colon at the end of the first sentence.

I enjoy taking classes at Cerritos College; it is a good school.

3. You can use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (see note) at the end of the first sentence.

I enjoy taking classes at Cerritos College, for it is a good school.

4. You can use a subordinating conjunction (see note) at the end of the first sentence.

I enjoy taking classes at Cerritos College because it is a good school.

A Note on Coordinating Conjunctions: Sometimes it is hard for students to remember the coordinating conjunctions, but there is an easy way. The acronym FANBOYS can help you.

For

And

Nor

But

Yet

Remember that the comma and the coordinating conjunction work like the coupler on a train. Your engine won't stay attached to the cars it is pulling if you have only one half of the coupler. In your sentence, if you only have a comma, you will have a comma splice. If you only have the coordinating conjunction, you will have a run-on sentence. You must use BOTH the comma and the coordinating conjunction to join together two sentences.

Note on Subordinating Conjunctions: When you use a subordinating conjunction, you are creating a sentence that cannot stand on it own. Here is a list of subordinating conjunctions that you might use.

after	although
as	because
before	if
since	that
though	unless
until

A Note on Grammar Checks: Don't rely on the grammar check aspect of your word processing program to catch all of your errors. The computer looks for patterns of words. It cannot understand meaning, and as a result, it may very well miss some errors or falsely identify correct sentences as errors. You are far better off to take the time and effort to learn the grammar rules so that you can check things yourself.

If you still feel confused, you can come and talk to me or talk to a tutor. You can also check out some of these web sites. Sometimes just hearing the information presented in a different way can help make things a bit easier to understand.