COMMA SPLICES AND RUN-ONS

THIS IS NOT A RUN-ON

SENTENCE:
 The scandal broke after the teacher was
charged with sexual harassment so the
administration and the school board issued a
statement to the media to dispel any rumors.
 IT IS A COMPOUND SENTENCE IN WHICH
THE COMMA IS INCORRECTLY OMITTED
BEFORE THE COORDINATING
CONJUNCTION SO.
THIS IS A RUN-ON SENTENCE:

 _______________ _________________
(sentence) (sentence)
 Two sentences (independent clauses) which
are not separated by any punctuation.
 I have always admired Wonder Woman for a
long time she was my hero.
THIS IS NOT A COMMA SPLICE:

 No one voted in the election, so the White

House was empty for four years.

 THE COMMA PRECEDING THE

COORDINATING CONJUNCTION IS
CORRECT.
THIS IS A COMMA SPLICE:
 _______________ , _________________
(sentence) (sentence)
 Two sentences (independent clauses)
separated only by a comma.
 I never enjoyed reading comic books when I
was a child, fantasy novels were always my
favorite.
HOW TO CORRECT RUN-ONS
AND COMMA SPLICES:
 Use a semicolon or period to separate
the two independent clauses/sentences.
 I have always admired Wonder Woman;
for a long time she was my hero.
 I never enjoyed reading comic books when
I was a child; fantasy novels were always
my favorite.
THIS IS NOT A FRAGMENT:
 It is obsolete.
 THIS GROUP OF WORDS HAS A SUBJECT,
A VERB, AND A COMPLETED THOUGHT.
 A FRAGMENT DOES NOT
EXPRESS A COMPLETE
THOUGHT:
 B.B. King and Morgan Freeman know a lot
about cotton fields. Both having grown up
in the Mississippi Delta region. B.B. King
from Indianola, Mississippi, and Morgan
Freeman from Clarksdale, Mississippi.
 The underlined portions are fragments.
A FRAGMENT MAY CONTAIN A
SUBJECT AND A VERB BUT IS NOT
AN INDEPENDENT THOUGHT:
 I noticed several students leaving the dormitory.
As I walked across the street past the trolley.
HOW TO CORRECT
FRAGMENTS:
 Add words or connect the fragment to the
sentence from which it is disconnected.
 B.B. King and Morgan Freeman know a lot about
cotton fields, both having grown up in the
Mississippi Delta region. B.B. King is from
Indianola, Mississippi, and Morgan Freeman is
from Clarksdale, Mississippi.
 I noticed several students leaving the dormitory
as I walked across the street past the trolley.
 Let’s Practice!!!
 The rate of inflation is related to the rate of
unemployment, it is impossible to influence one
without influencing the other.
 …unemployment; it is impossible…
 The ability to write complete sentences comes
with practice writing run-on sentences seems to
occur naturally.
 …with practice; writing run-on sentences…
 More Practice!!!
 We were surprised to come home and find that
the house had been burglarized. Even our
toothpicks missing.
 ….had been burglarized, even our toothpicks
missing.
 Erring is human, and forgiving is divine.
Although John’s errors were plentiful, since he
wasn’t close to approaching divinity.
 ...errors were plentiful, he wasn’t close…