Punctuation, Run-On Sentences and Comma

Splices Guide

II. Sentence Structure and Avoiding Run-on Sentences

Sentence Structure

Depending on the number and type of clauses they contain, sentences are classified as simple,
compound, complex, compound-complex.
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence contains only one independent clause. Without
dancing, life would not be fun.
A simple sentence can also contain compound elements (subject, verb, object).
Evil enters like a needle and spreads like an oak. (compound verb)

Compound sentences
A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses with no subordinate
clauses. They are joined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor,
so, for, yet) or with a semicolon.
He wanted to join the group, but the other members wouldn’t let him.
Most singers gain fame through hard work and dedication; Evita, however, found another
means.

Complex sentences
A complex sentence is composed of one independent clause with one or more subordinate
clauses.
The fur that warms a monarch once warmed a bear.
Home is the place where you slip in the tub and break your neck.
Talent is what you possess.
Dig a well before you are thirsty.
Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. Juan
can run faster than I can bicycle.
When he adopts a creed, a scientist commits suicide.
The receptionist knows [that] you are here.

Subordinating Adverbs
After before rather than though where although
Even though since unless whether as as if
If how so that until while than
When why because in order that that because
Although

Relative Pronouns
That who whom whose which

Other words introducing subordinate clauses.

Whoever Whomever Whatever Whichever Whenever Wherever

The above is true in both Spanish and English (Hacker, 2009, 768-770).
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 Run-On Sentences

Run-on sentences are a serious problem because they indicate that the writer does not
understand basic sentence structure either in Spanish or English. Run-ons are independent
clauses (a word group that can stand alone as a complete sentence) that have not been
joined correctly.

There are two types of run-on sentences. When a writer puts no punctuation and no
coordinating conjunction between independent clauses, the sentence is said to be fused. EX:
Gestures are a means of communication for everyone they are essential for the hearing
paired.

A more common run-on sentence is the comma splice—two independent clauses joined
with a comma without a coordinating conjunction (and, so, but, for, yet, or, nor).
EX: Gestures are a means of communication for everyone, they are essential for the
hearing impaired.

Here is an example of a run-on sentence:

1) Television will always influence people in their lives, in what they wear, in what they eat, in what they buy
and in what they like, and of course in how they behave; if negative influences are seen on society it is not
television’s fault, the problem is the education, the family values and the kind of behavior a person sees at
home.

Remember that in English. One thought = one sentence. In Spanish, it is common and accepted that you can put
many words and thoughts, add a comma and the sentence is acceptable. This is NOT acceptable in English. Sentences
in English are generally shorter than sentences in Spanish. Remember one thought or one idea = one sentence.
Another thought or idea = another sentence.

 What are the two easiest options for fixing a run-on sentence?

 How would you fix the above run-on sentence?

Below, you can see one way to fix the run-on sentence.

1) Television will always influence people in their lives. For example, it influences
people in what they wear, in what they eat, in what they buy and in what they like and
of course in how they behave. If negative influences are seen on society, it is not
television’s fault, but the problem is the education, the family values and the kind of
behavior a person sees at home.

Remember to fix a run-on sentence, you have these two easy options:
1) Use periods and cut sentence into several sentences.
2) Using connecting words such as:
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 a. But, and, so because, however, although, though, when, yet
b. Here is a Internet site with more connecting words
http://www.roanestate.edu/owl&writingcenter/OWL/Connect.html

Now here are two more methods for fixing a run-on sentence:

1. Use a semi-colon (if the clauses are related) and a transitional expression.
EX: Gestures are a means of communication for everyone; however, they are essential for
the hearing impaired. (Other common transitions: moreover, nevertheless, for example, in
fact, etc.).

2. Restructure the sentence so that one of the clauses becomes subordinate.

EX: While gestures are a means of communication for everyone, they are essential for the
hearing impaired (Hacker, 2009, 296-308).

Semicolons join complete sentences together in a special relationship, almost

a kind of question-and- answer connection or a comparison-contrast
relationship.

Naton Leslie, in his essay "Don't Get Comfortable," uses semicolons in this precise manner:

Animals made poor targets; they were hard to find, but when found, too big and
easy.

The semicolon has three primary functions:

1) To combine two closely related complete sentences (independent clauses)

2) To separate complete sentences (independent clauses) that are joined by a connecting word (conjunctive adverb).

3) To separate items in a list when commas alone would be confusing.

Example of 2 complete sentences connected using semicolons ;

1. The hill was covered with wildflowers; it was a beautiful sight.

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Complete sentence A == The hill was covered with wildflowers

Complete sentence B == it was a beautiful sight

2.The artist preferred to paint in oils; he did not like watercolors.

3. The dog, growling and snarling, snapped at me; I was so frightened that I ran.

Example of using semi-colon with a connecting word

1. The snowstorm dumped twelve inches of snow on the interstate; subsequently, the state police closed the
road.

2. The suspect said that he had never met the victim; however, the detective knew that he was lying.

Online exercise for commas and semi-colons.

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/semicolons_and_colons_1.asp

Commas
Commas are hard for many writers to master because they have so many different
uses and some of the uses are subtle. Even highly experienced writers will sometimes
vacillate, inserting a comma into a sentence, taking it out, putting it back in. As Ann
Raimes (2006) puts it, "When readers see a comma, they get a signal like 'These two
parts of the sentence are being separated for a reason'" (329). Good writers are
concerned with precision: precision in word choices, in sentence structure and
emphasis, in every detail all the way down to the little comma.
Consciously or unconsciously, they think about the reasons for the commas they use.

How does one write about commas without just repeating everything in the
handbooks? One is tempted to try for a Grand Unified Theory of commas that will
cover all cases. Here's a try at a theory: Commas help readers see how the
components of a sentence relate to one another, and thus perceive the main focus and
emphasis of the sentence. The main sentence, the part that carries the essential
meaning and fills the required grammatical slots, is not interrupted by commas. The
only exception occurs when a nonessential modifier is inserted, as in the previous
sentence. The modifier could be omitted, and the clause "The main sentence is not
interrupted by commas" would not change meaning. The modifier merely clarifies it
further.

In an attempt to find what the various uses of commas have in common, how they
show readers how to read sentences, we arrive at two principles for thinking about
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 when to use commas and when not to. They are not meant to substitute for the
information in a handbook, nor do they completely account for highly
conventionalized uses of commas, such as in dates or addresses or in the
neighborhood of quotations. (Or possibly they do, but explaining how the general
principles apply to each case would defeat the goal of keeping things simple.
Sometimes it's easier just to memorize a few rules.) The two principles are, rather, an
attempt to help make sense of what the handbooks tell us about commas as signals of
the relationship among the parts of a sentence.

Source: https://7esl.com/comma/

1. Commas should not separate required elements of a sentence. Such elements are
subject noun phrase, verb, object noun phrase or complement. It helps to think of a
sentence as being composed of the "main sentence" or "sentence core,"
expanded by any number of adjectival and adverbial modifiers (a subject for another
time). A sentence like "John's brothers bought him a balloon ride" would not be
interrupted by commas because every part of it is needed to make the sentence
complete; the whole thing is the main sentence. In such an uncomplicated sentence
that seems obvious, but in a minute we'll look at a more complicated case.

2. Commas most often separate the less essential modifying elements from the main sentence.
If we take the previous example and augment it with modifiers, we might get "John's brothers,
Joe and Mike, bought him a balloon ride for his birthday." We have added two modifiers, "Joe
and Mike" and "for his birthday." The first modifier is nonessential information, because
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John's brothers are the same people whether we name them or not. Therefore this modifier is
separated from the main sentence by raising the zero punctuation to commas. The second
modifier, "for his birthday," is more important information, because it states the occasion, or
reason, for the gift.

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acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use, available at
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III. THE COMMA

1. Use the comma to set off words or phrases in a series.

We need books, pencils, chairs, and desks.

2. Use the comma to set off dates, addresses, and geographical names.
He lives in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Today is January 21, 2002.

3. Use the comma to parenthetical expressions and words in direct address.

He was, to be sure, an excellent student.
And so, students, you can see the results of hard work.

4. Use the comma to set off any adverbial clause that precedes the main clause.
When it began to rain hard, we pulled off the highway.
But: We pulled off the highway when it began to rain hard. (Notice no comma)

He said that if it continued to rain, we might have to postpone our trip.

But: He said that we might have to postpone our trip if it continued to rain hard. (No
comma)

5. Use the comma to set off any non-identifying clause. A non-identifying clause is
one that is not necessary to the meaning or identification of the word it modifies.
Dr. Ayala, who is clever, makes a lot of money. (Dr. Ayala is already identified).
But: Any doctor who is clever makes a lot of money. (The doctor is not identified).
Juan Carlos, our doctor, recently went to Spain.

6. Use the comma to set off two independent clauses joined by a coordinating
conjunction (and, for, but, yet, so, nor, or).
I had a lot of trouble reaching him, but at last he answered his phone.

7. Use a comma to set off an absolute phrase (a phrase that modifies the whole
sentence).
The rain having stopped, we decided to continue our trip.

8. Use a comma to set off contrasting elements (sharp contrasts begin with not,
never, unlike).
Celia, unlike Roberto, loved dancing all night.
Melissa talks to me as an adult and friend, not as her little brother.
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 9. Use a comma to set off the words yes and no, tag questions, and mild
interjections.
Yes, he will probably pass his writing class. The
film wasn’t like the book, was it?
Well, assignments like Professor Johnson’s are difficult to write.

10. Use a comma to prevent confusion.

To err is human, to forgive, divine. (comma signals that verb is, was omitted in 2nd clause).

IV. UNNECESSARY COMMAS

1. Do not use a comma between compound elements that are not independent
clauses.
Antonio does not realize that his serious and that he will have to change his diet. (“that he
will have to change his diet” is not an independent clause thus no comma).

2. Do not use a comma before the first or after the last item in a series.
Other cause of asthmatic attacks are stress, change in temperature, humidity, and cold air.
(No comma after “are”)
This job that appears so elementary, carefree, and easy, carries a high degree of
responsibility. (No comma after “easy”).

3. Do not use a comma to separate a verb from its subject or object.

Zoos large enough to give animals room to roam, are becoming more popular. (No
comma before verb). She explained to her, that she was busy. (No comma before
object).

4. Do not use a comma after a coordinating conjunction.

Telenovelas are sometimes performed live, but, more often they are taped.

5. Do not use a comma before than.

Touring Cozumel was more thrilling for me, than visiting Cancun.

6. Do not use a comma before a parenthesis.

At UDEM he began at the lowest level of English, (Level 0150), but within one year he had passed the
TOEFL test.

7. Do not use a comma after such as.

Many students, such as, Carlos, David, and Juanita, have already passed the TOEFL
this semester.

Colons signal a move from general to particular. Thus they are often used to
introduce lists, for example:

When we speak of the greatest Presidents, most of us have in mind the same
three: Washington, Lincoln, and F. D. R.

But the general-to-particular connection works with other kinds of statements.

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 Leslie again:

Finally he got his own climbing gear: long hooks like bayonets that strapped to
his high-topped boots and a wide leather belt to wrap around tree trunks.

My father would sometimes say, after telling one of these stories, that there's only
one thing you need to know to do "high work": "Don't get comfortable."

Notice that what comes before the colon is always a complete sentence in itself.

Dashes sometimes perform a function opposite to colons, taking a sentence from

particular to general. For example:

Washington, Lincoln, and F. D. R. -- these are the three Presidents most of us think of
as great.

In the following example, Nicolette Toussaint uses a dash to show that "exhausted" is
the cumulative effect of what comes before:

I was constantly startled, unnerved, agitated -- exhausted.

More often, dashes are used for emphasis. Usually a comma could be used in the
same place, but the writer chooses to raise the punctuation for greater emphasis.
Leslie:

My father doesn't say what Doc said back -- some grunt or mumble through
his mustache -- but later, on Blood Road in his oxcart, Doc was jumped by
three men wearing bandannas, like the outlaws they had read about in dime
novels.

I've always been hesitant about heights -- not actually frightened, only concerned
and reluctant about climbing, a controllable vertigo.

References

Boerner, Jan; Diana Holguin-Balogh and Joy Wingersky. Writing Paragraphs and Essays, 2nd
Edition, Wadsworth Publishing Company ( Belmont, CA: 1995)

Hacker, Diane. The Bedford Handbook, 10th Ed., Bedford Books (Boston/New York: 2009).

Heffernan, James and John Lincoln. Writing: A College Handbook, 7th Ed., W. W. Norton, Co.
(New York: 2005).

Kolin, Philip C. Successful Writing at Work, 8 th Edition, Houghton Mifflin Co. (Boston/New York:
2007).

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
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