PowerPoint Presentations Pathways for Writing Scenarios:

From Sentence to Paragraph, Second

Edition Chapter 5

Prepared by Joanna Chrzanowski, Ph.D.

All punctuation serves one primary purpose—to separate.

To correct and avoid run-on sentences and comma splices, you need a good grasp of both

in between-sentence punctuation (periods, question marks, and exclamation points) and

within-sentence punctuation (commas, colons, semicolons, hyphens, dashes, etc.).

Chapter 5:Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices

Take a look at between-sentence punctuation examples:

Chapter 5:Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices

Commas, colons, semicolons, hyphens, dashes, quotation marks, and parenthesis all separate parts of a sentence from one another.

The comma is the most commonly used punctuation mark and also the most commonly misused.

When you do not insert punctuation and a coordinating conjunction between two complete thoughts, you create an error called a run-on sentence (sometimes called a fused sentence).

Chapter 5:Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices

1. Read each sentence aloud and place a slash mark when you hear a pause. The pause indicates the need for punctuation.

Chapter 5:How to Recognize Run-On Sentences

2. Look for sentences that contain two complete thoughts (independent clauses) without punctuation to separate them.

Chapter 5:How to Recognize Run-On Sentences

3. Look for long sentences.

Chapter 5:How to Recognize Run-On Sentences

1. Create two separate sentences.

Chapter 5:How to Correct Run-On Sentences

2. Use a semicolon.

Chapter 5:How to Correct Run-On Sentences

3. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

Chapter 5:How to Correct Run-On Sentences

There are seven coordinating conjunctions.

Choose the one that shows the right relationship between the two complete thoughts in a sentence.

Chapter 5:How to Correct Run-On Sentences

The following examples show how to use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to correct a run-on sentence.

Chapter 5:How to Correct Run-On Sentences