Subject and Predicate

A sentence is a group of words, which make complete sense.

The part, which names the person or thing, we are speaking about, is called the subject of the
sentence.

The part which tells, something, about the subject is called the predicate of the sentence.
The subject of the sentence usually comes first, but occasionally it is put after the predicate;
“Here comes the bus”
“Here comes” is the predicate and “the bus” is the subject.

Phrase
A group of word, which makes sense but not the complete sense, is called a phrase;
In the east
Sat on a wall

Clause

Independent and dependent clauses are the building blocks of sentences. However, dependent
clauses are used to make sentences more complete and interesting.

Independent Clause

A group of words that represent a complete thought containing a subject and a predicate. A single
independent clause can be a sentence by itself.

Dependent Clause

A dependent clause is a clause that does not express a complete thought;

While it is raining
Chain made up of gold

Dependent/ subordinating clause is typically introduced by a conjunction that forms the part of
independent clause.

Comma splice

A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined with just a comma.

● The boy, who was 8 years old, wanted to go to the park.(right)

● The man, along with his family, was desperately searching for food.
● He believed that the solution was, not violence, but peace. (wrong)
● He believed that the solution was not violence, but peace. (right)
 Fix comma splices with punctuation
 
To fix a comma splice, you can insert a period, exclamation point, or semicolon where the comma
splices the two independent clauses. Remember to capitalize the first word in second independent
clause if not using a semicolon.
For example:
● “The dancers were beautiful, they were very well-coordinated.”
● This can be fixed by “The dancers were beautiful. They were very well-coordinated.” On the other
hand, “The dancers were beautiful! They were very well-coordinated.” Alternatively, “The
dancers were very beautiful; they were very well-coordinated.”

● “When I sip coffee, I think of my mother, she made the best coffee.” This can be fixed by “When I
sip coffee, I think of my mother. She made the best coffee!” Or “When I sip coffee, I think of my
mother; she made the best coffee.”

Revise the sentences with a coordinating conjunction 

An easy way to remember coordinating conjunctions is with the acronym “FANBOY.” This

stands for: for, and, nor, but, or, yet. To fix a semicolon, you can add a coordinating conjunction
after the comma in the splice.

● “My sisters and I went to the beach, we had a great time.” You can add a coordinating
conjunction to fix this comma splice and to give additional information. For example, “My sisters
and I went to the beach, and we had a great time.” Perhaps if you and your sisters do not get
along or do not like the beach, you might say, “My sisters and I went to the beach, yet we had a
great time!” Each coordinating conjunction adds subtle meaning, so be careful on which you use.

● “The large dog jumped the fence, he was chasing the cat.” You can fix this by adding: “The large
dog jumped the fence, for he was chasing the cat.”

● “The coffee house’s music was very hypnotic, it distracted me from studying.” You can fix this by,
“The coffee house’s music was very hypnotic, but it distracted me from studying.” Or “The coffee
house’s music was very hypnotic, and it distracted me from studying.”

Add a subordinating conjunction

 Subordinating conjunctions are used to add complexity to two independent clauses. Subordinating
conjunctions include: because, therefore, after, although, as, as if, even if, since, that etc. There are
many more subordinating conjunctions! To fix a comma splice with a subordinating conjunction,
remove the comma and replace it with the conjunction.

● “The movie was quite boring, we both fell asleep halfway through.” You can fix this with a
subordinating conjunction such as: “The movie was quite boring as we both fell asleep halfway
through.”
● “The food was bland, it had no seasoning.” To fix this, you might write, “The food was bland
because it had no seasoning.”
● “The table was wobbly, our drinks slid off of it when the waitress hit it.” To fix it with a
subordinating conjunction, you might say something like, “The table was wobbly therefore our
drinks slid off of it when the waitress hit it.” Or, you can add the subordinating phrase somewhere
else in the sentence, such as: “Our drinks slid off the table when the waitress hit it, therefore, our
table was wobbly.”

Write first, read later

 A good tip for revising is to not worry about fixing punctuation issues until you have a draft.
Worrying about punctuation while you write may frustrate you and interrupt your writing flow.
While your goal is not to write a comma splice, you can always go back and fix mistakes.
Focusing on each and every comma placement may cause more stress and worse writing.

Read your writing

When you want to revise your draft for comma splices, start reading. Read one sentence at a time
and read it out loud. This will help you slow down and to read what is actually on the page. It is
easy for your brain to insert words that are not there or automatically fix mistakes. Even
professional writers have this problem!
● Another tip is to read your draft backwards. That is, start with the last sentence in your draft and
read it (forward). Then, move to the next to the last. This will help scramble your brain a bit to
help you read what is there. You are more likely to see mistakes this way.
● You can use a pointer (such as the tip of your pencil) to pick out your commas. Read what you
have written on either side of the comma. Ask yourself, “Are these independent clauses on either
side of this comma?” If yes, then you have a comma splice.
Exercise: 1

Combine, by using a conjunction, each of the following pairs of sentences into one longer
sentence:
● Last night, a stone was thrown through your bedroom window, it was whilst you were out
for a walk.
● Much as I wanted to add a giraffe to my collection of trophies, I left the animals
undisturbed, I think it a pity to shoot these rather rare and very harmless creatures.
● We went by boat to Nice, we stayed there for a fortnight and arrived home the day before
we were due to return to college.
● He has a very bad temper and can be rude most of the times, he has, however, great
courage and is a man of the highest integrity.
● Lucy was terrified when she heard what seemed to be a cry for help, she was much
relieved to find that her fears were baseless.

Exercise:2

Where necessary, substitute full stops for comma and capital letters for small letters in the
following passage:

Walter had very little difficulty in finding the dining hall, he was guided there by
the smell of cooking and the sound of voices, it was a large paneled room, with
fifty or sixty boys of ages ranging from ten to eighteen settled along four large
tables, the smaller boys wore Eton suits, the elder ones’dinner-jackets.
Where necessary, substitute comma for full stops and small letters for capital letters in the
following sentences:

● I regret that I cannot accept your invitation. The reason being that I have already made
arrangements to spend the weekend at my uncle’s house in the country.

● Our mathematics textbooks cover a very wide field. Extending from simple arithmetic for
pupils in the first grade to trigonometry for those in the fifth.

● The writer stated that different people had different opinions. An example being the
townsman’s and the countryman’s attitude towards the land.