Comma Splices: Preslar's comp class
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3 4 Writing Matters Writing Matters by Rebecca Moore Howard by Rebecca Moore Howard Avoiding Comma Avoiding Comma Splices and Fused Splices and Fused Sentences Sentences ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 3 5
Transcript of Comma Splices: Preslar's comp class
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Writing MattersWriting Mattersby Rebecca Moore Howardby Rebecca Moore Howard
Avoiding Comma Splices Avoiding Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1
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Two independent clauses joined Two independent clauses joined in a compound sentence need a in a compound sentence need a proper coupling mechanism.proper coupling mechanism.
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Correctly Joining Correctly Joining Independent ClausesIndependent Clauses
• Independent clauses– Clauses that stand as complete
sentencesExample:I was not hungry. I had already eaten.
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Correctly Joining Correctly Joining Independent ClausesIndependent Clauses
• Independent clauses– Clauses that stand as complete
sentences– Can be combined for compound
sentences• Using a comma and coordinating
conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet)Example:I was not hungry, yet I ate all the French fries!
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Correctly Joining Correctly Joining Independent ClausesIndependent Clauses
• Independent clauses– Clauses that stand as complete
sentences– Can be combined for compound
sentences• Using a semicolon
Example:I was not hungry; I did not plan to eat again.
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Correctly Joining Correctly Joining Independent ClausesIndependent Clauses
• Independent clauses– Clauses that stand as complete
sentences– Can be combined for compound
sentences• Using a colon or a dash
Example:I was not hungry: I had eaten earlier.
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Indentifying Incorrectly Joined Indentifying Incorrectly Joined Independent ClausesIndependent Clauses
• Comma splices– Two independent clauses combined with
a comma aloneExample:I had not eaten, I had eaten earlier.
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Indentifying Incorrectly Joined Indentifying Incorrectly Joined Independent ClausesIndependent Clauses
• Fused sentences– Two independent clauses combined with
no punctuationExample:I had not eaten I had eaten earlier.
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Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to OccurWatch for these situations:
1. Conjunctive adverb (for example, however, therefore) leading the second clause
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Example:In the first two Harry Potter movies, Richard Harris played Dumbledore, however, since Harris’s death in 2002, Michael Gambon has played the role.
Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to OccurWatch for these situations:
1. Conjunctive adverb (for example, however, therefore) leading the second clause
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Example:In the first two Harry Potter movies, Richard Harris played Dumbledore, however, since Harris’s death in 2002, Michael Gambon has played the role.In the first two Harry Potter movies, Richard Harris played Dumbledore; however, since Harris’s death in 2002, Michael Gambon has played the role.
Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to OccurWatch for these situations:
2. Subject of second clause is antecedent of subject of first clause
Example:Ronald Reagan was originally an actor, he turned to politics in the 1960s.
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Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to OccurWatch for these situations:
2. Subject of second clause is antecedent of subject of first clause
Example:Ronald Reagan was originally an actor, he turned to politics in the 1960s.Ronald Reagan was originally an actor, but he turned to politics in the 1960s.
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Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to OccurWatch for these situations:
3. When first clause introduces secondExample:Politics and acting have something in common they both require a willingness to perform in public.
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Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to OccurWatch for these situations:
3. When first clause introduces secondExample:Politics and acting have something in common they both require a willingness to perform in public.Politics and acting have something in common: they both require a willingness to perform in public.
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Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to OccurWatch for these situations:
4. When one clause is positive and one is negative
Example:We were not upset that the exam was postponed, we were relieved.
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Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to OccurWatch for these situations:
4. When one clause is positive and one is negative
Example:We were not upset that the exam was postponed, we were relieved.We were not upset that the exam was postponed; we were relieved.
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Recognizing When Comma Splices Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occurand Fused Sentences Tend to Occur
Use the Quick Reference box on p. Use the Quick Reference box on p. 613 in 613 in Writing Matters Writing Matters to help to help
identify comma splices and fused identify comma splices and fused sentences.sentences.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
1. Separate sentences– Use a period– Works especially well with long
independent clausesExample:
My friends and I began our long-anticipated trip to Peru in early July we arrived in Lima on Saturday morning and flew to Cuzco that same day.
My friends and I began our long-anticipated trip to Peru in early July. We arrived in Lima on Saturday morning and flew to Cuzco that same day.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
1. Separate sentences– Use a period– Works especially well with long
independent clausesExample:
My friends and I began our long-anticipated trip to Peru in early July we arrived in Lima on Saturday morning and flew to Cuzco that same day.My friends and I began our long-anticipated trip to Peru in early July. We arrived in Lima on Saturday morning and flew to Cuzco that same day.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
1. Separate sentences2. Coordinating conjunction
– Use a commaExample:
We needed to adjust to the altitude before we began hiking in the Andes we spent three days sightseeing in Cuzco.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
1. Separate sentences2. Coordinating conjunction
– Use a commaExample:
We needed to adjust to the altitude before we began hiking in the Andes we spent three days sightseeing in Cuzco.
We needed to adjust to the altitude before we began hiking in the Andes, so we spent three days sightseeing in Cuzco.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
1. Separate sentences2. Coordinating conjunction3. Semicolon
– Join two independent clauses– Should be a clear logical relationship– Use a conjunctive adverb to help explain
relationship, when neededExample: Most languages spoken in Europe belong to the Indo-European language family, a few, such as Basque, Finnish, and Hungarian, do not.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
1. Separate sentences2. Coordinating conjunction3. Semicolon
– Join two independent clauses– Should be a clear logical relationship– Use a conjunctive adverb to help explain
relationship, when neededExample: Most languages spoken in Europe belong to the Indo-European language family; a few, such as Basque, Finnish, and Hungarian, do not.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
4. Colon or dash– First clause introduces second– Second clause elaborates on the first
Example:The message is clear, smoking kills.
The message is clear: smoking kills.The message is clear—smoking kills.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
4. Colon or dash– First clause introduces second– Second clause elaborates on the first
Example:The message is clear, smoking kills.
The message is clear: smoking kills.
The message is clear—smoking kills.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
4. Colon or dash5. Modifying subordinate clause or
phrase– Turn one of the independent clauses into a
subordinate clauseExample:Spanish, like French and Italian, is a Romance language, it derives from Latin, the language of the Romans.
Spanish, like French and Italian, is a Romance language, it derives from Latin, the language of the Romans.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
4. Colon or dash5. Modifying subordinate clause or
phrase– Turn one of the independent clauses into a
subordinate clauseExample:
Spanish, like French and Italian, is a Romance language, it derives from Latin, the language of the Romans.
Spanish, like French and Italian, is a Romance language because it derives from Latin, the language of the Romans.
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Correcting Comma Splices Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
Refer to the Quick Reference box on Refer to the Quick Reference box on p. 616 when revising or correcting p. 616 when revising or correcting
comma splices and fused comma splices and fused sentences.sentences.
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Writing MattersWriting Mattersby Rebecca Moore Howardby Rebecca Moore Howard
Avoiding Comma Splices Avoiding Comma Splices and Fused Sentencesand Fused Sentences
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 29
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