Grammar: Run-ons and Fragments

• Study notes on common grammatical errors and punctuation.

Run-on Sentences

• This occurs when two or more independent clauses are connected improperly.
• A common mistake is joining independent clauses with just a comma.
• Example: "I love to write papers, I would write one every day if I had the time" is incorrect.
• Independent clauses can be correctly separated using a period, semicolon, or a comma with a coordinating conjunction to fix run-on sentences.
• Corrected examples:
  • "I love to write papers. I would write one every day if I had the time."
  • "I love to write papers; I would write one every day if I had the time."
  • "I love to write papers, and I would write one every day if I had the time."

Sentence Fragments

• Incomplete sentence that lacks a necessary component.
• Example: "Shows no improvement in any of the vital signs" lacks a subject.
• Correction requires ensuring all necessary components are present.
• Corrected example: "The patient shows no improvement in any of the vital signs."

Comma Splice

• A type of run-on sentence where two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction.
• Example: "I am not angry with you, I am not happy with you, either" is a comma splice.
• Fixing it includes using a coordinating conjunction after the comma, using a semicolon, or separating the clauses into two sentences.
• Corrected examples:
  • "I am not angry with you, but, I am not happy with you, either."
  • "I am not angry with you; I am not happy with you, either."
  • "I am not angry with you. I am not happy with you, either."
  • “I’m thinking of skipping english class because it is really boring”

Commas ( , )

• Used to indicate a pause in a sentence.

When to Use Commas

• To separate independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet).
  • Example: "I love vanilla ice cream, but my brother prefers chocolate."
• After introductory clauses, phrases, or words before the main clause.
  • Example: "In the beginning, there was light."
• To set off non-essential clauses, phrases, or words in the middle of a sentence.
  • Example: "Hilda, a very good cook, went to San Francisco."
• To separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a series.
  • Example: "George traveled to Spain, France, and Germany."
• To separate two or more coordinate adjectives describing the same noun.
  • Example: "The big, ugly, monster glared down at me."
• To set off geographical names, dates (except month and day), addresses (except street number and name), and titles in names.
  • Example: "On October 3, 2022, Jeff Smith, marketing director at Intel, traveled to 14 Appian Way in Rome, Italy."

When NOT to Use Commas

• When items in a series are joined by conjunctions.
  • Example: "I don’t want butter or sour cream or chives on my potato!"
• Between words in a two-word pair, but commas are used to set off each pair in a series.
  • Example: "The menu offered bacon and eggs, ham and eggs, and pancakes and syrup."

Colons ( : )

• Used to introduce information that elaborates on or explains what precedes it.

When to Use Colons

• To introduce a list at the end of a complete statement.
  • Example: "I have a few favorite classes at UoFT: literature, psychology, and art."
• To introduce a summary, restatement, or explanation of the preceding independent clause.
  • Example: "Sara studied hard for one purpose: to succeed in her college courses."
• To introduce a long, formal question at the end of a complete statement.
  • Example: "In his book Life Lines, Forrest Church maintains that people should cry more: " Life is difficult. Some people pretend that it is not, that we should be able to breeze through. Yet hardly a week passes in which most of us don't have something worth crying about."
• To introduce a question at the end of a complete sentence.
  • Example: “The primary question is this: Should we give it or keep working diligently towards our goal?”
• To separate a title from its subtitle.
  • Example: "Korea: A Country Divided"
• After the salutation in a formal letter.
  • Example: "To whom it may concern:"
• To separate hours and minutes when indicating the time.
  • Example: 10:45

When NOT to Use Colons

• To introduce lists that directly follow verbs or prepositions.
  • Example: "Three famous violin makers were Amati, Stradivari, and Gyarneri" is incorrect.

Semicolons ( ; )

• Used to link closely related ideas or separate items in a complex list.

When to Use Semicolons

• To join independent clauses not connected by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, so, for, yet, nor, or).
  • Example: "Some students do more than attend college; they have families and jobs that complete their time as well."
• To join independent clauses connected by a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, moreover, etc.).
  • Example: "I needed more time to study for my classes; therefore, I cut back on the hours I worked each week."
• To separate list items when individual items in the series contain commas. -Example: “Jeff lived in Springfield, IL; Seattle, WA; and Orlando, FL.”