Comma Splice
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- Adam@Knewton
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There are three categories of ways to cure a comma splice, which is defined as two independent clauses joined only by a comma.yellowho wrote:What "words" can break/cure comma splice problems? Does anyone have an a list of items?
1) Add a semicolon instead of a comma (self-explanatory)
2) Add a coordinating conjunction after the comma. There are 7 such conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. They are remembered by the mnemonic acronym "FANBOYS."
3) Turn one of the two clauses into a dependent clause. There are too many ways of doing this to list, but the most common solution you'll see among the answer choices involves a subordinating conjunction, such as: Because, Although, As, While, Since, When, etc.
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- prachich1987
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Thanks Adam for your brief post above!
Can you please advise whether I am correct in marking correct/incorrect beside below statements.
Jane cleaned the room and washed her clothes.-----Correct
Jane cleaned the room, and washed her clothes.----Correct
Jane cleaned the room and she washed her clothes.----- Incorrect
Jane cleaned the room, and she washed her clothes----- Correct
Can you please advise whether I am correct in marking correct/incorrect beside below statements.
Jane cleaned the room and washed her clothes.-----Correct
Jane cleaned the room, and washed her clothes.----Correct
Jane cleaned the room and she washed her clothes.----- Incorrect
Jane cleaned the room, and she washed her clothes----- Correct
Thanks!
Prachi
Prachi
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First of all, none of the above are comma splices. Just to be clear, a comma splice is:prachich1987 wrote:Thanks Adam for your brief post above!
Can you please advise whether I am correct in marking correct/incorrect beside below statements.
Jane cleaned the room and washed her clothes.-----Correct Yes
Jane cleaned the room, and washed her clothes.----Correct Incorrect - single comma should not separate two items in a series, in this case, compound verb "cleaned and washed"
Jane cleaned the room and she washed her clothes.----- Incorrect Could be correct because both independent clauses are so short, but if they were longer you would need a comma
Jane cleaned the room, and she washed her clothes----- Correct Generally, yes, although again, because both clauses are so short and share a subject, you'd rarely see a comma in standard written English here.
Jane cleaned the room, she washed her clothes.----Incorrect (2 independent clauses joined by a comma)
More importantly, the GMAT does not test punctuation, including comma usage, so none of this is relevant to the test.
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Adam,
I guess what is the definition of a run-on sentence then? So as long as you have a coordinating conjunction the sentence is not a comma splice error but it still can be a run-on sentence right?
[quote="AdamKnewton"][quote="prachich1987"]Thanks Adam for your brief post above!
Can you please advise whether I am correct in marking correct/incorrect beside below statements.
Jane cleaned the room and washed her clothes.-----Correct [color=green]Yes[/color]
Jane cleaned the room, and washed her clothes.----Correct [color=darkred]Incorrect - single comma should not separate two items in a series, in this case, compound verb "cleaned and washed"[/color]
Jane cleaned the room and she washed her clothes.----- Incorrect [color=darkred]Could be correct because both independent clauses are so short, but if they were longer you would need a comma[/color]
Jane cleaned the room, and she washed her clothes----- Correct [color=green]Generally, yes, although again, because both clauses are so short and share a subject, you'd rarely see a comma in standard written English here.[/color][/quote]
First of all, none of the above are comma splices. Just to be clear, a comma splice is:
Jane cleaned the room, she washed her clothes.----Incorrect (2 independent clauses joined by a comma)
More importantly, [b]the GMAT does not test punctuation, including comma usage[/b], so none of this is relevant to the test.[/quote]
I guess what is the definition of a run-on sentence then? So as long as you have a coordinating conjunction the sentence is not a comma splice error but it still can be a run-on sentence right?
[quote="AdamKnewton"][quote="prachich1987"]Thanks Adam for your brief post above!
Can you please advise whether I am correct in marking correct/incorrect beside below statements.
Jane cleaned the room and washed her clothes.-----Correct [color=green]Yes[/color]
Jane cleaned the room, and washed her clothes.----Correct [color=darkred]Incorrect - single comma should not separate two items in a series, in this case, compound verb "cleaned and washed"[/color]
Jane cleaned the room and she washed her clothes.----- Incorrect [color=darkred]Could be correct because both independent clauses are so short, but if they were longer you would need a comma[/color]
Jane cleaned the room, and she washed her clothes----- Correct [color=green]Generally, yes, although again, because both clauses are so short and share a subject, you'd rarely see a comma in standard written English here.[/color][/quote]
First of all, none of the above are comma splices. Just to be clear, a comma splice is:
Jane cleaned the room, she washed her clothes.----Incorrect (2 independent clauses joined by a comma)
More importantly, [b]the GMAT does not test punctuation, including comma usage[/b], so none of this is relevant to the test.[/quote]
- Adam@Knewton
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The phrases "run-on sentence" and "comma splice" are almost identical in meaning and usually interchangeable. You can have a run on that isn't a comma splice if you just drop the comma altogether:yellowho wrote:Adam,
I guess what is the definition of a run-on sentence then? So as long as you have a coordinating conjunction the sentence is not a comma splice error but it still can be a run-on sentence right?
"My mother is always annoying me I am never calling her again."
However, the definition of a run-on sentence is irrespective of the presence or absence of a comma: it's a sentence with more than one independent clause, improperly joined.
Keep in mind that you can have a coordinating conjunction but still have a run-on sentence, as it's possible to have 3 clauses (or more) with only 1 proper connector. This is actually not uncommon on the GMAT. Look at this crazy example:
There are lots and lots of verbs in there, but only one of them -- [spoiler]the "was" at the end[/spoiler] -- is added on without being in a dependent clause OR being connected acceptably. Thus, it is a run-on sentence; without those final 4 words, it is completely acceptable.I went to buy a new car, which admittedly I desperately needed, from a new dealership in town; after I researched all of the recently-opened businesses that had begun to propagate throughout the area where I lived, I settled on one that was clearly the best, and I went there in the afternoon to make my purchase, I was extremely happy.
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- prachich1987
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Thanks Adam
Just wanted to make sure you mean to say that the below will be a correct sentence.
Just wanted to make sure you mean to say that the below will be a correct sentence.
I went to buy a new car, which admittedly I desperately needed, from a new dealership in town; after I researched all of the recently-opened businesses that had begun to propagate throughout the area where I lived, I settled on one that was clearly the best, and I went there in the afternoon to make my purchase
Thanks!
Prachi
Prachi
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Yes! The three blue verbs are in Independent Clauses, conjoined by green connectors; the other, olive-colored verbs are subordinated by either relative pronouns or subordinating conjunctions, in red. It is a correct sentence, and not at all a "run-on"!prachich1987 wrote:Thanks Adam
Just wanted to make sure you mean to say that the below will be a correct sentence.
I went to buy a new car, which admittedly I desperately needed, from a new dealership in town; after I researched all of the recently-opened businesses that had begun to propagate throughout the area where I lived, I settled on one that was clearly the best, and I went there in the afternoon to make my purchase
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