Usage Comma Splices & Run-ons
Com m a sp lices and ru n-on sentences are tw o com m on p u nctu ation er rors. These p u nctu ation errors are
d ifferent bu t are corrected in sim ilar w ays.
COMMA S PLICES
A com m a sp lice occu rs w hen tw o ind epend ent clau ses (grou p s of w ord s that can stand alone as
sentences) are joined together by only a com m a.
C OMMA SPLICE: Lazy Lou heard that a particu lar machine w ou ld d o half his w ork, he ord ered tw o.
The above sentence is a com m a sp lice because the clauses on both sid es of the com m a can stand alone as
com p lete sentences.
RUN -ON S EN TEN CES
A ru n-on sentence occurs w hen tw o or m ore ind ep end ent clau ses are joined w ithou t p rop er pu nctu ation
or conju nctions.
RUN -ON : I bou ght a gas grill tw o w eeks ago I like to cook every d ay.
The above sentence is a ru n -on because it can be sep arated into tw o com p lete sentences.
CORRECTIN G COMMA S PLICES AN D RUN -ON S EN TEN CES
Correct a com m a sp lice or ru n -on sentence w ith one of the follow ing op tions:
1. Sep arate the tw o ind epend ent clau ses w ith a period , and m ake tw o sentences.
EXAMPLE: Lazy Lou heard that a particu lar machine w ou ld d o half his w ork. H e ord ered tw o.
2. Use a coord inating conju nction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) after a comm a and betw een tw o
ind ep end ent clau ses.
EXAMPLE: I bou ght a gas grill tw o w eeks ago, and I like to cook every d ay.
3. Ad d a su bord inating conju nction (after, before, if, once, since, so that, though, where, while, unless, until,
etc.) to the beginning of one ind ep end ent clau se to m ake it d ep end ent.
EXAMPLES: When Lazy Lou heard that a p articu lar m achine w ou ld d o half his w ork, he ord ered
tw o!
I bou ght a gas grill tw o w eeks ago because I like to cook every d ay.
4. Connect the tw o ind epend ent clau ses w ith a sem icolon.
EXAMPLES: Lazy Lou heard that a particu lar machine w ou ld d o half his w ork; he ord ered tw o.
5. Use a sem icolon p lu s a conju nctive ad verb (accordingly, however, meanwhile, therefore, furthermore,
nevertheless, etc.) and a com m a to sep arate ind ep end ent clau ses.
EXAMPLES: I bou ght a gas grill tw o w eeks ago; how ever, I have not yet u sed it.
Utah Valley University Writing Center
Usage Sentence Fragments
S EN TEN CE FRAGMEN TS
A sentence need s to form a com plete thou ght and have both a comp lete su bject and a com plete verb.
Sentence fragm ents are u su ally m issing one or m ore of these elem ents.
EXAMPLE: H ave been going to school regu larly. (no su bject)
The m an w earing the red hat. (no comp lete verb)
On m y d esk, besid e the stap ler and u nd er the pencils. (no su bject or com p lete verb)
Althou gh she is m y friend . (not a comp lete thou ght)
CORRECTIN G S EN TEN CE FRAGMEN TS
A D D IN G A S UBJECT
When a sentence lacks a su bject, it d oes not m ake sense because it d oes not say w ho is d oing the action
or w hose state of being is being d escribed .
FRAGMEN T: Doesn’t m ake m uch sense.
Correct this m istake by ad d ing the su bject.
C ORRECT: This sentence d oesn’t m ake m u ch sense.
A D D IN G A COMPLETE V ERB
When a sentence lacks a com p lete verb, the read er d oes not know w hat the su bject is d oing, thinking,
feeling, being, etc.
FRAGMEN T: The teacher w ho said that grad es d on’t m atter.
To be com p lete, this sentence need s a phrase to show w hat the teacher d id . Ad d a verb p hrase or
rem ove the w ord who, m aking said the action of the sentence rather than a d escrip tion of the teacher.
C ORRECT: The teacher w ho said that grad es d on’t m atter w as only trying to comfort me.
The teacher said that grad es d on’t m atter.
A D D IN G A S UBJECT AN D A COMPLETE V ERB
A sentence that lacks a su bject and a com p lete verb d oes not say w hat is going on or w ho is acting.
FRAGMEN T: H elp ing Jackie d ecorate her car for the festival.
You can fix this sentence by ad d ing a su bject and changing the verb to a form that w o rks on its ow n, or
you can u se helping as the su bject and ad d a p hrase w ith a com p lete verb.
C ORRECT: Michelle helped Jackie d ecorate her car for the festival.
H elp ing Jackie d ecorate her car for the festival w asted Michelle’s Saturday afternoon.
COMPLETIN G AN IN COMPLETE THOUGHT
Som e p hrases have a subject and a verb, bu t they still d on’t m ake sense w hen they are sep arated from
the w riting arou nd them . These are often d ep end ent clau ses and start w ith a su bord inating conju nction
(after, when, unless, while, even though, until, since, etc.).
FRAGMEN T: Because I love to read and w rite.
In this fragm ent, the read er is confu sed abou t what hap p ens becau se you love to read and w rite. To
m ake this comp lete, either rem ove the su bord inating conju nction that m akes it a d ep end ent clau se
(because), or ad d an ind ep end ent clau se (a p hrase w ith a su bject and verb that m akes sense on its ow n).
You can ad d the ind ep end ent clau se either before or after th e d ep end ent clau se.
C ORRECT: I love to read and w rite. (rem ove of su bord inating conju nction)
Because I love to read and w rite, I became an English major. (ad d ind ep end ent clau se)
Utah Valley University Writing Center