Ever see a R/O or C/S on a paper after a teacher has graded it? That's short-hand for Comma Splices and Run-On Sentence errors. These are both grammatical errors that are closely related. Let me give you some examples:
1. We went to the movies I didn't enjoy what we saw.
2. We went to the movies, I didn't enjoy what we saw.
Both of these sentences are incorrect due to different, but similar errors. Sentence #1 is a Run-On sentence. A Run-On Sentence is where two subjects and two actions are taking place within a sentence and there is no sort of punctuation or break to separate the two ideas.
Let's break the sentence down into its basic parts to help illustrate what I mean when I say two subjects and two actions.
We went to the movies I didn't enjoy what we saw.
The red represents the subjects in the two sentences. Two things are happening - the first subject, we, went to the movies. The second subject, I, didn't enjoy what we saw. The actions are represented in blue. For a sentence to be a complete sentence, one subject and one action must be taking place. Sometimes, two subjects and one action or one subject and two actions can take place in a sentence. For example:
Blake and I went to the movies.
Or
We went to the movies and didn't enjoy what we saw.
Both of these are grammatically correct and are one complete sentence. It is when TWO subjects AND TWO actions happen within one sentence that a Run-On error occurs.
Sentence #2 has a comma instead of no punctuation where the two sentences meet - but that is still grammatically incorrect. Placing a comma between the separation of subjects within a Run-On sentence just turns the error into a Comma Splice.
We went to the movies, I didn't enjoy what we saw.
Now that we've identified what the errors are, let's identify five ways of fixing them.
1. Use a period to separate the two thoughts.
We went to the movies. I didn't enjoy what we saw.
2. Use a comma and a conjunction - also known as FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)
We went to the movies, and I didn't enjoy what we saw.
3. Use a semicolon to separate the two sentences; this should only be used when the sentences are closely related, however.
Appropriate semicolon use:
We went to the movies; I didn't enjoy what we saw.
Incorrect semicolon use:
We went to the movies; I like chocolate ice cream.
While going to the movies and not enjoying what was watched at the movies are related to one another, going to the movies and liking chocolate ice cream are not. It would be incorrect to use a semicolon for the incorrect example.
4. Use a semicolon, conjunctive adverb and comma to conjoin two sentences together.
We went to the movies; however, I didn't enjoy what we saw.
Conjunctive adverbs MUST be used between a semicolon and comma when being used to separate two sentences to be grammatically correct. In addition, conjunctive adverbs, like semicolons, are used to some sort of relation between the two sentences. If the sentences are unrelated, use a period instead.
Here is a list of conjunctive adverbs:
accordingly, furthermore, moreover, similarly,
also, hence, namely, still,
anyway, however, nevertheless, then,
besides, incidentally, next, thereafter,
certainly, indeed, nonetheless, therefore,
now, instead, thus, consequently,
finally, likewise, otherwise, undoubtedly,
further, meanwhile.
5. Rewrite the sentence so it has only one subject or one action.
I didn't like what we saw at the movies.
Next time you find a R/O or C/S on your paper, take a closer look at your writing, find the subject and action of your sentences, and use one of these five ways to correct the error.
For more help with Run-On sentences and Comma Splices, come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.
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