FAQs
First-Year English
SENTENCE PUNCTUATION ERRORS
Correctly Linking Sentences | Comma
Splices | Run-ons | Sentence Fragments
How Should Complete Sentences Be Linked Together?
There are three types of sentence punctuation errors
that you may find noted by your instructor in your writing--a comma-splice,
a run-on, or a sentence fragment. All of these errors involve incorrectly
punctuating a complete sentence. These errors are serious errors
because you signal to the reader that you as a writer do not know how to
punctuate a complete sentence correctly. Before you can understand
or revise these errors, you must understand how complete sentences are
linked together.
There are only two ways of linking two complete sentences
together, (1) using a comma + a coordinating conjunction or (2) using a mark
of punctuation.
1. Using a comma + a coordinating conjunction
| complete sentence 1 |
comma + for |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
comma + and |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
comma + nor |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
comma + but |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
comma + or |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
comma + yet |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
comma + so |
complete sentence two |
Example: The boy went to the store, but
he
never returned.
sentence 1 comma + but
sentence 2
There are only seven coordinating conjunctions.
You should memorize them. If you do not memorize them, you cannot
punctuate sentences correctly This rule does not say that every time
you use these conjunctions you use a comma, only when there is a complete
sentence on either side of the comma + the coordinating conjunction.
Be sure to check the other uses for the comma since these rules will further
clarify other times when you use commas with coordinating conjunctions.
2. Using a mark of punctuation--a period,
a semi-colon, a colon, a question mark, or a exclamation point.
| complete sentence 1 |
. (period) |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
; (semi-colon) |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
: (colon) |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
? (question mark) |
complete sentence two |
| complete sentence 1 |
! (exclamation point) |
complete sentence two |
In the preceding sentences the period, the semi-colon, and
the colon say something slightly different
to the reader. The period says to the reader, "Stop. These are
two separate sentences." The period is the most frequently
used. The semi-colon's prime grammatical
function is to separate two complete sentences that are closely related
in meaning. Hence, the semi-colon says to the reader, "These are two
complete sentences that are closely related in meaning." The semi-colon
is used occasionally. The colon tells the reader to look at the complete
sentence that follows. When a colon separates two complete sentences,
it
says
to
the
reader, "These are two complete sentences, but pay attention to the second sentence."
The colon is rarely used to separate two complete sentences.
Example:
The boy went to the store. He never returned
(Period says stop. These are two complete sentences.)
The boy went to the store; he never returned
(Semi-colon says these are two complete sentences closely
related in meaning)
The boy went to the store: He never returned
(Colon says these are two complete sentences. Pay
attention to the second sentence.)
What Is a Comma Splice?
A comma splice is a serious punctuation error in which
you separate two complete sentences with a comma. To solve this error
you must examine the two rules above to decide which method is most logical
to punctuate the sentence correctly.
Comma splice: The boy went to the store, he never
returned
The easiest solution to this error is to use rule number
two for linking complete sentences. Delete the comma and add according
to the situation the correct end mark of punctuation.
Correction Using Rule 2: The
boy went to the store. He never returned
If the context of the sentence allows, you might also
correct the above comma-splice by using rule number one.
Correction Using Rule 1:
The boy went to the store, and he never returned.
A comma-splice can be easily corrected. You can
avoid them in future writing if you will memorize the two methods for linking
complete sentences together.
What Is a Run-on Sentence?
A run-on sentence, also called a fused sentence, is two
complete sentences linked together without any mark of punctuation. This
error usually occurs in two distinct forms: two sentences linked together without
any mark of punctuation and two sentences link together with a
coordinating conjunction but missing the necessary comma to link the two
sentences together correctly. The second sentence might also be an incomplete
sentence.
Run-on Sentences:
The boy went to the store he never returned
The boy went to the store and he never returned
One solution to the first run-on sentence is to add an end
mark of punctuation.
Correction Using Rule 2:
The boy went to the store. He never returned.
One solution to the second run-on sentence is to add a comma
to correctly punctuate these two complete sentences.
Correction Using Rule 1:
The boy went to the store, and he never returned.
What Is a Sentence Fragment?
A sentence fragment is another type of serious error.
A sentence fragment is a group of words you have punctuated as a
complete sentence, but this group of words is not a complete sentence.
Complete sentences must have a subject ("man" / "he") and a verb
("is" / "running"). The sentence could be as simple as "It rained."
These two words constitute a compete sentence because one is a subject,
"it," and the other is verb, "rained." At times, sentence fragments
are created by punctuation errors. At other times, sentence fragments
are created by writing errors. Sentence fragments, unless used for
a specific stylistic reason in your writing that you must be able to justify,
are unacceptable in college level writing.
Sentence Fragment:
After the boy went to the store. He never
returned.
sentence fragment
The sentence fragment in this first example occurred because
the writer failed to recognize that this introductory element cannot be
punctuated as a complete sentence because the word "after" makes this sentence
(clause) a subordinate sentence (subordinate clause) that must be
linked to the main sentence (main clause) with a comma. This is an
example of a sentence fragment created by a punctuation error. No
rewriting needs to take place because the error occurred as a result of
incorrectly linking sentences parts together with punctuation.
Correction: After the boy went to the
store, he never returned.
Another type of sentence fragment occurs when the writer
punctuates a group of words as a sentence when grammatically it is not.
This error occurs because the sentence lacks a subject or a verb.
Sentence Fragment:
Going to the store and never returning
(This group of words has only verbs but no subjects.)
Correction:
The boy went to the store and never returned.
(This is now a complete sentence because there is a subject,
"the boy" and the verbs "went" and "returned.")
This group of words punctuated as a sentence cannot be revised
correctly by a punctuation mark. Instead the group of words needs
to be revised to include a subject. Of the two types of sentence
fragments, usually the type missing the subject or verb is more serious
because it suggests that the writer does not have the skill to write a
sentence. The sentence fragment created by incorrect punctuation
suggests that the writer doesn't know how to punctuate a complete sentence
correctly. Neither error should occur in college level writing.
PVCC - The Learning Support Center's Online English Tutor - First-Year
English - FAQs - Sentence Punctuation Errors
© 1998 MCCCD. This page last modified on July 28, 2005.
Questions and Comments to Jeanne Franco at franco@pvc.maricopa.edu
http://www2.pvc.maricopa.edu/tutor/eng/enggraer.htm