Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

https://hipwallpaper.com/zombie-iphone-backgrounds/
 Review: An IND Clause…

• Is a complete sentence that can stand by itself

• Has a verb (action word) +
• Has a subject (noun/pronoun)

• Example: Zombies walk.

– Zombies = subject
– Walk= verb
• One IND clause = SIMPLE SENTENCE
 4 Different Types of Sentences

• Zombies walk.
• Michonne is a fierce warriort

• SIMPLE
• 1 IND clause
 4 Different Types of Sentences

• (I enjoy The Walking Dead) and (I will

stop marking to watch it).

• COMPOUND
• 2 IND clauses joined by a
FANBOYS
• (While Daryl appears to
be gruff), (he has a softer
side).

• COMPLEX
• 1 DEP + 1 IND
• Has a DEP conjunction

https://www.zedge.net/wallpaper/d56be94e-51ae-3e0b-a736-308ba640a861
 The monster sentence…

• (Although we’re unlikely to experience a

zombie apocalypse), (we might have a
pandemic), so (we can learn
survival strategies from the
show).
• COMPOUND COMPLEX
• 1 DEP, 2 IND
 Common errors in first grammar exercise

• 1. Mixing up compound
and complex sentences
• Solution:
– Complex sentence will have
a DEP conjunction
– Compound sentence will
use a FANBOYS
 2. What about 3 or more clauses?

• Compound sentences will

use FANBOYS only
• DEP conjunction?
• Compound-complex
• Try this one!
• “The Walking Dead” is fun on Sunday nights,
and we can always watch “Better Call Saul,” but
I’m still sad that “Breaking Bad” is over!

https://screenrant.com/breaking-bad-the-worst-things-jesse-ever-did/
 Break it down into parts…

• (“The Walking Dead” is fun on Sunday

nights) (IND)
• and (FANBOYS, IND)
• (We can always watch “Better Call
Saul”) (IND)
• but (FANBOYS, IND)
• (I’m still sad that “Breaking Bad” is
over!) (IND)
• Type of sentence?
 Type of zombie sentence?

• Compound
• 3 IND clauses
• Joined by FANBOYS
Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
 Fused Sentences =

• 2 IND clauses smushed

(fused) together with no
punctuation

• Example:
The zombie works at Best
Buy his sales skills are
terrible.
 Cont’d

• There are two separate IND

clauses:
• 1. The zombie works at Best
Buy.
• 2. His sales skills are terrible.
 Fused sentences create Run On Sentences!

• Zombies are my favourite creatures they are

hungry for brains they are fun.
 Comma Splices =

• 2 IND clauses incorrectly

joined together by a
comma.
• Example:
• The zombie works at Best
Buy, his sales skills are
terrible.
 That last one may have “looked right” to
you

• However, a comma isn’t strong

enough to go between 2 IND
zombie clauses
 Here’s that sentence expressed with comma splices…

• Zombies are my favourite

creatures, they are hungry
for brains, they are fun.
 Fixing the errors

• Let’s look at these grammatically

incorrect sentences:
• The bus stopped zombies
disembarked (fused)
• and
• The bus stopped, zombies
disembarked (comma splice)
Fixing Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

• 1. Add an IND
conjunction
(FANBOYS: for, and,
not, but, or, yet, so)

• The bus stopped

and zombies
disembarked.

https://rentmypartybus.com/category/zombies/
 Fix #2

• 2. Make one clause DEP

by adding a DEP
conjunction.

• After the bus stopped,

zombies disembarked.
• As soon as the bus
stopped, zombies
disembarked. https://kroc.com/halloween-haunted-
houses-events-attractions-rochester-
southeast-mn/
 Fix #3

• 2. Make the 2
independent clauses
separate sentences.

• The bus stopped.

Zombies
disembarked.
 Fix #4

• 4. Use a semi
colon.
• Carefully…

• The bus stopped;

zombies
disembarked.
https://nj1015.com/nj-teen-zombie-
pranks-walking-dead-star-audio/
 Examples

• 1. The zombie works at Best Buy, but

his sales skills are terrible.
• 2. Although the zombie works at Best
Buy, his sales skills are terrible.
• 3. The zombie works at Best Buy. His
sales skills are terrible.
• 4. The zombie works at Best Buy; his
sales skills are terrible.
Now try it out!

GO TO THE EXERCISE…