Introduction to Assignment This assignment contains a number of s.docx

Introduction to Assignment
: This assignment contains a number of sections. Each section
contains a reading followed by a practice exercise. To complete
the assignment, you need to respond to all the practice exercises
in the assignment.
Directions
: Type out the answers to all the practice exercises on a separate
sheet of paper. This sheet of paper or document will be known
as the “Answer Sheet for Grammar Assignment 2” Be sure to
number your answer sheet in the same way the practice
exercises are numbered. For this assignment, your answer sheet
should be numbered from 1 through 56. Also, be aware that for
some of the practice exercises you have to rewrite the sentences
to complete the practice, and for some of the practice exercise
you do not have to rewrite the sentences to complete the
practice.
Where and How to Submit Assignment
: When you complete the assignment, you will submit it either
by uploading it as an attachment or by cutting and pasting the
assignment from your word processing program into the
textbox. Both of these options appear at the bottom of the
assignment page. If you cut and paste your assignment into the
textbox, be sure to do so by choosing the option to “Paste from
Word.” Using this option will maintain your original
formatting. To access the “Paste from Word” option, click on
the three dots that appear in the box in the far right hand corner
of the textbox. After you do this, several more buttons should
appear. Once these buttons appear, click on the arrow beside the
picture of the clipboard in order to see the option “Paste from
Word.” Click on this option and follow the directions provided.
If you send the assignment as an attachment, name the
attachment in the following way: GA2LastName. For example,
if I were submitting the assignment as an attachment, I would
name the attachment GA2Tolbert.
If you submit the exercise as an attachment, be sure to save it

and attach it as a Rich Text Format (RTF) since the majority of
computers can open an RTF attachment.
If you submit an assignment as an attachment that my computer
will not open, I will return the assignment to you ungraded. The
assignment will remain ungraded until you submit it in a form
my computer will open
.
When to Submit Your Assignment:
Grammar Assignment 2 is due by 11:59 Eastern Standard Time
on
Sunday, November 2, 2014.
How to Format Assignmen
t:
Title
: Center the following information at the top of the completed
exercise:
Answer Sheet for Grammar Assignment 2
Font
: 12pt Times New Roman
Spacing
: Double Spacing
If you have any questions about how to do Grammar
Assignment 2 or how to submit it, be sure to let me know.
Section 1: Past Tense of Regular Verbs [The following
information about verb tenses is taken from p. 72 of
Writing for Success
.]
Suppose you must give an oral presentation about what you did
last summer. How do you make it clear that you are talking
about the past and not about the present or the future? Using the
correct verb tense can help you do this
.

It is important to use the proper verb tense. Otherwise, your
listener might judge you harshly. Mistakes in tense often leave a
listener or reader with a negative impression.
Regular Verbs
Verbs indicate actions or states of being in the past, present, or
future using tenses. Regular verbs follow regular patterns when
shifting from the present to past tense. For example, to form a
past-tense or past-participle verb form, add
-ed
or
-d
to the end of a verb. You can avoid mistakes by understanding
this basic pattern.
Verb tense identifies the time of action described in a sentence.
Verbs take different forms to indicate different tenses. Verb
tenses indicate
an action or state of being in the present,
an action or state of being in the past,
an action or state of being in the future.
Helping verbs, such as
be
and
have,
also work to create verb tenses, such as future tense.
Present Tense
:
Tim
walks
to the store. (Singular Subject)
Present Tense
:
Kimmy

and
Sue
walk
to the store. (Plural Subject)
Past Tense
: Yesterday,
they
walked
to the store for milk. (Plural Subject)
Future Tense
: Tomorrow,
Kimmy
will walk
to the store to buy some bread. (Singular Subject)
Practice 1: On your answer sheet, type out past tense of the
regular verb in parenthesis. You
do not
need to rewrite the sentences to complete this practice.
1. The Dust Bowl ______(occur) during the 1930s in the United
States.
2. The Dust Bowl mostly ______(affect) the states of Kansas,
Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.
3. During the Dust Bowl, the dust storms ______ (cause)
irreparable damage to farms and the environment for several
years.
4. When early settlers ______ (move) into the area, they
______(remove) the natural prairie grasses in order to plant
crops and raise cattle.
5. The worst dust storms ______(happen) on April 14, 1935.
Section 2: Past Tense of Irregular Verbs [The following
information about irregular verbs is taken from pp. 73-76 of

Writing for Success
.]
Irregular Verbs
The past tense of irregular verbs is not formed using the
patterns that regular verbs follow. Study Table 2.1 "Irregular
Verbs" on pp. 73-76 of
Writing for Success
, which lists the most common irregular verbs.
Tip
The best way to learn irregular verbs is to memorize them. With
the help of a classmate, create flashcards of irregular verbs and
test yourselves until you master them.
Here we consider using irregular verbs.
Present Tense
: Lauren
keeps
all her letters.
Past Tense
: Lauren
kept
all her letters.
Future Tense
: Lauren
will keep
all her letters.
Practice 2: On your answer sheet, type out past tense of the
irregular verb in parenthesis.
To complete this practice, you will need to refer to the table of
irregular verbs on pp. 73-76 of
Writing for Success
. You
do not
6. The house ______(shake) as the airplane rumbled overhead.

7. I _______ (buy) several items of clothing at the thrift store
last Wednesday.
8. The prized goose ______(lay) several golden eggs last night.
9. Martha ______ (put) the lotion in her shopping basket and
started toward the checkout line.
10. Although Hector ______(grow) three inches in one year, we
still call him “Little Hector.”
Section 3: Maintaining Consistent Verb Tense [The following
information about maintaining consistent verb tense is found on
pp. 76-78 of
Writing for Success
.]
Maintaining Consistent Verb Tense
Consistent verb tense means the same verb tense is used
throughout a sentence or a paragraph. As you write and revise,
it is important to use the same verb tense consistently and to
avoid shifting from one tense to another unless there is a good
reason for the tense shift. In the following box, see whether you
notice the difference between a sentence with consistent tense
and one with inconsistent tense.
Inconsistent Tense
: The crowd
starts
cheering as Melina
approached
the finish line.
Starts
is in present tense and
approached
is in past tense
Consistent Tense
: The crowd
started
cheering as Melina

approached
the finish line.
Both verbs are in past tense:
started, approached
Consistent Tense:
The crowd
starts
cheering as Melina
approaches
the finish line.
Both verbs are in present tense:
starts, approaches
Tip
In some cases, clear communication will call for different
tenses. Look at the following example
:
When I
was
a teenager, I
wanted
to be a firefighter, but now I
am studying
computer science.
If the time frame for each action or state is different, a tense
shift is appropriate.
Practice 3: On your answer sheet, write out the correct verb
from the two choices in parentheses. If the sentence is talking
about something that happened in the past, be sure to pick out a
past tense verb. If the sentence is talking about something that
is happening in the present, be sure to pick out a present tense
verb. Also, be sure there are not any illogical shifts from past
tense to present tense or from present tense to past tense within
a sentence. You
do not
have to rewrite the sentences to complete this practice.

11. In the Middle Ages, most people lived in villages and
______(work, worked) as agricultural laborers or peasants.
12. Every village ______(had, has) a “lord,” and the peasants
worked on his land.
13. A peasant’s day usually began before sunrise and
______(involved, involve) long hours of back-breaking work,
which ______(included, include) plowing the fields, planting
seeds, and cutting crops for harvest.
14. Although the lord offered the peasants protection, their
working life ______ (was, is) demanding and exhausting.
Section 4: Commas with Introductory Elements [The following
information about using commas after introductory words and
phrases is found on p. 107 of
Writing for Success
. The following information about using commas after
introductory adverb clauses is found in Lecture 1 of Module 4.
If you would like to see and hear the lecture about using
commas after introductory adverb clauses, then go to
Lecture 1 of Module 4: Accuracy in Punctuation and Mechanics
found under the
Modules
tab in the
Course Resources
area of the course site. ]
One of the punctuation clues to reading you may encounter is
the comma. The comma is a punctuation mark that indicates a
pause in a sentence or a separation of things in a list. Commas
can be used in a variety of ways. Look at some of the following
sentences to see how you might use a comma when writing a
sentence.
Commas after an Introductory Word, Phrase, or Adverb Clause
You may notice a comma that appears near the beginning of the
sentence, usually after a word, phrase, or clause. This comma

lets the reader know where the introductory word or phrase ends
and the main sentence begins.
Example of introductory phrase: Without spoiling the surprise
,
we need to tell her to save the date.
In this sentence,
without spoiling the surprise
is an introductory phrase, while
we need to tell her to save the date
is the main sentence. Notice how they are separated by a
comma.
Example of introductory word: Ironically
,
she already had plans for that day.
When only an introductory word appears in the sentence, a
comma also follows the introductory word.
Examples of introductory adverb clauses:
When Harold received his paycheck, he went straight to the
mall to spend it.
Before Patrick began lifting weights, he was the skinniest boy
in class.
After the stock market crashed, investors were hesitant to invest
in technology stocks.
Because a storm is coming, we are not advised to go fishing.
Notice that these sentences all begin with
when, before, after,
or
because
. These are known as adverb clause markers.
When Harold received his paycheck
is an adverb clause. When you start your sentence with that

type of a clause, you put a comma after it and then conclude
with the main clause. The reason this is called an adverb clause
is because it tells you when he went straight to the mall. An
adverb clause tells you information about the verb in the next
clause.
Before Patrick began lifting weights, he was the skinniest boy
in class
. This tells you when he was the skinniest boy in class. That's
why it's called an adverb
clause. But, you can see, the comma after it is necessary
because of the pause in your voice as you read the sentence.
After the stock market crash, investors were hesitant to invest
in technology stocks
. Again,
after the stock market crash
is an adverb clause telling you when investors were hesitant
and you need a comma after that clause.
Because a storm is coming, we are not advised to go fishing.
Because the storm
is coming tells you why we are not advised to go fishing. It
tells you more information about the verb:
are not advised
. So, in this case, we'll want a comma after this adverb clause.
More examples:
If the Federal Reserve Board increases the prime rate, interest
rates will rise.
Unless Sharon gets the job offer, she will not move from this
city.
Although Henry did not agree with the talk show host on many
issues, Henry still agreed to appear on his program.
The
if
clause is followed by the comma, the
unless
clause is followed by a comma, and the
although

clause is followed by a comma. All three clauses are adverb
clauses. When they begin a sentence, you'll need a comma after
those clauses and conclude the sentence with a main clause.
Practice 4: On your answer sheet, place commas in the
following sentences where needed. You
will need to rewrite
the sentences to complete this practice.
15. In the blink of an eye the kids were ready to go to the
movies.
16. Suddenly the dog ran into the house.
17. Although Mark was exhausted from the four mile hike he
still put up the tents for all his family.
18. Without a doubt green in my favorite color.
19. If the rain stops by noon the family reunion will proceed as
planned.
Section 5: Section 5: Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions
[If you would like to see and hear the lecture about commas
with coordinating conjunctions, then go to
Lecture 1 of Module 4: Accuracy in Punctuation and Mechanics
found under the
Modules
tab in the
Course Resouces
area of the course site.]
Use a comma when a coordinating conjunction separates
independent clauses
We discussed this a bit in a previous lecture. Let's recall what
the coordinating conjunctions are.
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet

So
These words are called coordinating conjunctions. An easy way
to remember them is to remember the acronym:
FANBOYS
. If these words separate two independent clauses, two clauses
that could stand alone as sentences, you'll want to insert a
comma into the sentence. Take a look at these examples:
Hal never got his refund,
for
he never sent in his tax return.
Alice lives in Missouri,
and
Jeff lives in Mississippi
I have no savings,
nor
do I have any debts.
Jack is taking physics,
but
Jerry is taking biology.
First of all, notice that both clauses have subject-verb
combinations:
Hal never got, he never sent, Alice lives, Jeff lives, I have, I
have, Jack is taking, Jerry is taking
. We have two subject-verb combinations, a separate subject-
verb combination in each clause. Notice that in addition, in all
these cases we have independent clauses.
Hal never got his refund
is an independent clause.
He never sent in his tax return
is an independent clause. They can both stand alone themselves
as sentences.
Alice lives in Missouri. Jeff lives in Mississippi
. Two independent clauses. The last item:
Jack is taking physics,
Jerry is taking biology

, again two independent clauses. The third item represents
somewhat of an exception because the word
nor
. The first clause,
I have no savings
, is an independent clause. The next clause is an independent
clause which has the auxiliary,
do
, in front of it because of the negative word
nor
. We won't get into the grammatical technicalities here about
why this is the case, but understand that when you use the word
nor
, you are going to have the auxiliary, in this case
do
, preceding the subject, in this case,
I
. But in all four cases, we have coordinating conjunctions
separating independent clauses and we need commas in cases
like these.
Take a look at more examples:
You can pay me now,
or
you can pay me later.
Maxine has no degree in computers,
yet
she is working as a web developer.
Arnold just bought a new condominium,
so
he is moving next week.
Again, subject-verb combinations in each clause:
you can pay, you can pay, Maxine has, she is working, Arnold
just bought, he is moving
. We have subject-verb combinations, a different one in each
clause. In addition, we have independent clauses for each
clause.

You can pay me now
You can pay me later
is an independent clause. Both clauses could stand by
themselves as sentences.
Maxine has no degree in computers
She is working as a web developer
, again, an independent clause.
Arnold just bought a new condominium
. An independent clause can stand by itself.
He is moving next week
. An independent clause that can stand alone by itself. We are
connecting independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions
so we put commas between the conjunctions. This is our first
rule in the use of commas: use commas when a coordinating
conjunction separated independent clauses.
Practice 5.1: On your answer sheet, place commas in the
following sentences where needed. You
the sentences to complete this practice.
20. We could go camping for vacation or we could go to the
beach.
21. He wanted a snack before bedtime so he ate some fruit and
drank some milk.
22. Mark spent most of the night studying by himself and he
spent most of the morning studying with his friends.
23. I have never dealt with this client before but I know that
Leonardo has worked with him so let’s ask Leonardo for help.
Practice 5.2: Practice 5.1: On your answer sheet, place commas
in the following sentences where needed. You
the sentences to complete this practice. Some of the following
sentences have introductory elements and some of the sentences
have coordinating conjunctions.

24. Believe it or not the criminal was able to rob the same bank
three times.
25. The conference was scheduled for Monday yet none of the
participants had arrived.
26. When John realized he had left home without his driving
directions he became nervous.
27. Confused he tried to open the box from the wrong end.
28. I cannot move forward on this project but I cannot afford to
stop on this project.
Section 6: Sentences and Sentence Fragments
A sentence is a group of words that has a subject and a verb
and expresses a complete thought
.
Sentence: The truck with the red roof stopped at the sign.
Subject: truck
Verb: stopped
Expresses a complete thought: the truck stopped at the sign.
A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a
complete thought. Often, the sentence fragment is missing a
subject or a verb.
Sentence Fragment with a missing subject
: Told her mother about the broken vase.
In this sentence fragment, there is not a subject. That is, there is
no “doer” of the action. As readers, we do not know who told
her mother about the broken vase.
Complete Sentence
: Mary told her mother about the broken vase.
Now, the word group is a sentence because it has a subject. That
is, as readers we now know who told her mother about the

broken vase.
Sentence Fragment with a missing verb
: The new store on Main Street
In this sentence fragment, there is not a verb. That is, there is
not action or state of being in the sentence. As readers, we do
not know what the new store on Main Street does.
Complete Sentence
: The new store on Main Street sells guitars and sheet music.
Now, the word group is a complete sentence because it has a
verb. That is, as readers, we now know what the new store on
Main Street does.
Be aware that a word group can have a subject and a verb and
still be a sentence fragment. For example, a dependent clause
has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete
thought.
Dependent Clause/Sentence Fragment
: When the snow began falling,
Subject: snow
Verb: began falling
Does not express a complete thought. That is, the word group
“When the snow began falling” does not make sense by itself.
Complete Sentence
: When the snow began falling, the children ran into the front
yard.
Certain words are commonly used to begin dependent clauses.
Recognizing these words can help you determine whether a
word group with a subject and a verb is a dependent clause and
therefore a sentence fragment.
Words that are commonly used to begin dependent clauses
Although

If
What
As
So that
When
Because
That
Where
Though
Whether
Even though
Unless
While
Which
How
Who
Whose
Since
After
Finally, remember that length does not determine whether a
group of words is a sentence or a sentence fragment
. That is, you can have a very short sentence and a very long
sentence fragment.
Complete Sentence
: Susan wept.
Sentence Fragment
: Unless Mr. Bithers changes his mind about the final exam that
he gave last Friday during sixth period
Practice 6: Decide whether each of the following group of
words is a sentence or a sentence fragment. On your answer
sheet, type a S if the word group is a sentence or a SF if the
word group is a sentence fragment. You

do not
29. The teacher scolded the class
30. Ran over the skateboard lying in the driveway
31. The basketball game at the high school in the neighboring
town
32. Martha enjoys gardening
33. After the sun settled behind the sparkling water of the large
lagoon at the south end of the island
Section 7: Different Types of Sentence Fragments [The
following information about sentence fragments is taken from
pp. 48-55 of
Writing for Success
. The textbook provides diagrams for editing the different types
of sentence fragments that is not included in the following
information. If you would like to review these diagrams, you
will need to go to pp. 48-55 of
Writing for Success
. For additional information about sentence fragments, view
Lecture 6 of Module 1: Sentence Accuracy
located under the
Modules
tab in the
Course Resources
Fragments
The sentences you have encountered so far have been
independent clauses. As you look more closely at your past
writing assignments, you may notice that some of your
sentences are not complete.
(1) Missing Subject or Verb:
A sentence that is missing a subject or a verb is called a
fragment. A fragment may include a description or may express

part of an idea, but it does not express a complete thought.
Fragment:
Children helping in the kitchen.
Complete sentence:
Children helping in the kitchen
often make a mess
.
You can easily fix a fragment by adding the missing subject or
verb. In the example, the sentence was missing a verb. Adding
often make a mess
creates an S-V-N sentence structure.
See whether you can identify what is missing in the following
fragments.
Fragment:
Told her about the broken vase.
Complete sentence: I
told her about the broken vase.
Fragment:
The store down on Main Street.
Complete sentence:
The store down on Main Street
sells music
.
Common Sentence Errors
Fragments often occur because of some common error, such as
starting a sentence with a preposition, a dependent word, an
infinitive, or a gerund.
(2) Prepositional Phrases
: When you see a preposition, check to see that it is part of a
sentence containing a subject and a verb. If it is not connected

to a complete sentence, it is a fragment, and you will need to fix
this type of fragment by combining it with another sentence.
You can add the prepositional phrase to the end of the sentence.
If you add a prepositional phrase at the end of a sentence, then
you
do not need
to put a comma before the prepositional phrase. If you add a
prepositional phrase to the beginning of a sentence, then you
will need
to put a comma after the prepositional phrase.
Incorrect:
After walking over two miles. John remembered his wallet.
Correct:
After walking over two miles, John remembered his wallet.
Correct:
John remembered his wallet after walking over two miles.
(3) Clauses:
Clauses that start with a dependent word—such as
since
,
because
,
without
, or
unless
—are similar to prepositional phrases. Like prepositional
phrases, these clauses can be fragments if they are not
connected to an independent clause containing a subject and a
verb. To fix the problem, you can add such a fragment to the
beginning or end of a sentence. If the fragment is added at the
beginning of a sentence, you
will need
to put a comma after the dependent clause. If a dependent
clause is added to the end of a sentence, you
do not need

a comma before the dependent clause.
Incorrect:
Because we lost power. The entire family overslept.
Correct:
Because we lost power, the entire family overslept.
Correct:
The entire family overslept because we lost power.
Incorrect:
He has been seeing a physical therapist. Since his accident.
Correct:
Since his accident, he has been seeing a physical therapist.
Correct.
He has been seeing a physical therapist since his accident.
(4) Gerunds (ing verbs)
:
When you encounter a word ending in
-ing
in a sentence, identify whether or not this word is used as a verb
in the sentence. You may also look for a helping verb. If the
word is not used as a verb or if no helping
verb is used with the
-ing
verb form, the verb is being used as a noun. An
-ing
verb form used as a noun is called a gerund.
ing
verb used as verb
: I
was working
on homework until midnight.
ing
verb used as noun
:
Working

until midnight makes me tired the next day.
Once you know whether the
-ing
word is acting as a noun or a verb, look at the rest of the
sentence. Does the entire sentence make sense on its own? If
not, what you are looking at is a fragment. You will need to
either add the parts of speech that are missing or combine the
fragment with a nearby sentence. If you add the
ing
phrase to the beginning of a sentence, you will need to put a
comma after the phrase.
Incorrect:
Taking deep breaths. Sam prepared to give his speech.
Correct:
Taking deep breaths, Sam prepared to give his speech.
Correct:
Sam prepared to give his speech. He was taking deep breaths.
Incorrect:
Congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast
their success.
Correct:
Congratulating the entire team, Sarah raised her glass to toast
their success.
Correct:
Sarah was congratulating the entire team. She raised her glass
to toast their success.
(5) Infinitives (
To
+ a verb):
Another error in sentence construction is a fragment that begins
with an infinitive. An infinitive is a verb paired with the word
to

; for example,
to run
,
to write
, or
to reach
. Although infinitives are verbs, they can be used as nouns,
adjectives, or adverbs. You can correct a fragment that begins
with an infinitive by either combining it with another sentence
or adding the parts of speech that are missing.
Incorrect
: We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes. To reach
the one thousand mark.
Correct:
We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes to reach
the one thousand mark.
Correct:
We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes. We
wanted to reach the one thousand mark.
(6) Added Details
: Added-detail fragments add details to a sentence but are not
sentences themselves.
Look at the following examples:
Example 1
: I hate all vegetables. Including broccoli.
Example 2
: Harry is always in a bad mood. Except on Fridays.
Example 3
: Joan stays away from spicy food. Especially Thai food.
In each of the above examples, we can see that “including
broccoli,” “except on Fridays,” and “especially Thai food” are
added details that come at the end of sentences, but they cannot
stand alone as sentences themselves.
To correct the above fragments, we need to

replace the period in the middle of the sentence with a comma
in order to connect the fragment to the preceding sentence
:
Example 1
: I hate all vegetables, including broccoli.
Example 2
: Harry is always in a bad mood, except on Fridays.
Example 3
: Joan stays away from spicy food, especially Thai food.
Now, let’s look at some added-detail fragments that begin with
“for example”:
Example 1
: Jack likes taking remote vacations. For example, visiting the
redwood forests of California.
Example 2
: My old house has problems. For example, no insulation in the
attic.
Notice that in both examples, the word groups that begins with
“for examples” is not a complete sentence. That is, neither “For
example, visiting the redwood forests of California” nor “For
example, no insulation in the attic” is a complete sentences.
To correct the above fragments, we need
to add a subject and verb to the word group that begins with
“For example”:
Example 1
: Jack likes taking remote vacations. For example, he enjoys
visiting the redwood forests of California.
Example 2
: My old house has problems. For example, it has no insulation
in the attic.
The point to remember is that the phrase “for example” doesn't
necessarily start a new sentence. You have to have a subject and
verb coming after it before you have a complete sentence.

Practice 7: On your answer sheet, revise the following word
groups by joining the fragments to the sentences before or after
them. If you prefer, you may revise the fragments by supplying
the missing element. You
will need
to rewrite the sentences to complete this practice.
34. The coach did not cancel practice. Although the field was
covered in snow.
35. Jerry left his wallet and his glasses. On the table in his
bedroom.
36. Jimmy likes to spend his weekends watching professional
sports on ESPN. For example, football and basketball
37. Susan went to Idaho. To visit her aunt and uncle.
38. Since Margaret did not turn in her permission slip. She
could not go on the field trip.
39. Noticing the posted speed limit was 45. Mark took his foot
off the accelerator to slow down the car.
40. Martha backed the family car into the side of the garage.
Because she was distracted by her two children fighting in the
back seat.
41. Understanding computer programming languages is an
important skill to have. In today’s job market.
Section 8: Section 8: Run-On Sentences: Fused Sentences and
Commas Splice Sentences [The following information about
run-on sentences is taken from pp. 55-58 of
Writing for Success
. For additional about run-on sentences, view
Lecture 7 of Module 1
:
Sentence Accuracy
located under the
Modules
tab in the
Course Resources

Just as short, incomplete sentences can be problematic, lengthy
sentences can be problematic too. Sentences with two or more
independent clauses that have been incorrectly combined are
known as run-on sentences. A run-on sentence may be either a
fused sentence or a comma splice. A fused sentence is two
complete sentences that have been run together without any
mark of punctuation. A comma splice sentence is two complete
sentences that have been run together with only a coma between
them.
Fused sentence:
A family of foxes lived under our shed young foxes played all
over the yard.
Comma splice:
We looked outside, the kids were hopping on the trampoline.
Punctuation
One way to correct run-on sentences is to correct the
punctuation. For example, adding a period will correct the run-
on by creating two separate sentences.
Fused Sentence
: The accident closed both lanes of traffic we waited over an
hour for the wreckage to be cleared.
Comma Splice
: The accident closed both lanes of traffic, we waited over an
Correct
: The accident closed both lanes of traffic. We waited over an
Using a semicolon between the two complete sentences will also
correct the error. A semicolon allows you to keep the two
closely related ideas together in one sentence. When you
punctuate with a semicolon, make sure that both parts of the
sentence are independent clauses. For more information on
semicolons, see Section 2.4.2 "Capitalize Proper Nouns.”

Fused Sentence:
There were no seats left we had to stand in the back.
Comma Splice:
There were no seats left, we had to stand in the back.
Correct:
There were no seats left; we had to stand in the back.
Practice 8.1: On your answer sheet, do the following two tasks
for each of the following sentences.
Identify each sentence as either fused (F), commas splice (CS),
or correct (C )
Correct each of the fused and comma splice sentences by
using either a period or a semicolon.
You
will need
to rewrite the sentences to complete this practice
42. After falling into the swimming pool, John began to flail his
arms wildly.
43. The lifeguard saw that John was in trouble, he jumped in the
pool and swam quickly toward John.
44. At first, John was afraid he pushed the lifeguard away from
him.
45. The lifeguard worked hard to calm down John, John
eventually stopped flailing his arms and began to breathe more
deeply.
46. The lifeguard secured John with his left arm the lifeguard
then began to swim carefully toward the edge of the pool.
Coordinating Conjunctions
You can also fix run-on sentences by adding a comma and a

coordinating conjunction. A coordinating conjunction acts as a
link between two independent clauses.
Tip
These are the seven coordinating conjunctions that you can use:
for
,
and
,
nor
,
but
,
or
,
yet
, and
so
. Use these words appropriately when you want to link the two
independent clauses. The acronym
FANBOYS
will help you remember this group of coordinating conjunctions.
Fused Sentence:
The new printer was installed no one knew how to use it.
Comma Splice
: The new printer was installed, no one knew how to use it.
Correct:
The new printer was installed
, but
no one knew how to use it.
Fused Sentence
: John had the best grades in the class he was the star of the
football team.
Comma Splice

: John had the best grades in the class, he was the star of the
football team.
Correct:
John had the best grades in the class
, and
he was the star of the football team.
or correct (C )
using coordinating conjunctions.
Be sure to use the coordinating conjunction that best completes
the sentence. Use Table 8.2 at the end of the practice to help
you choose the correct coordinating conjunction to use in each
sentence. Remember that you will need a comma before the
coordinating conjunction.
You
will need
47. Prospective employees need to wear appropriate business
attire to their interviews many prospective employees seem
unaware of this fact.
48. Some prospective employees wear dirty tee shirts and torn
jeans to their interviews, these people do not make a good first
impression.
49. Once hired, many employees continue to wear appropriate
business attire they can contribute to the professional
appearance of their companies.
50. Selecting appropriate business attire is important for a
successful interview, it is not the only way to impress a

potential boss or supervisor.
51. A well-prepared resume and punctuality are just as
important for a successful interview as selecting the correct
business attire.
Table 8.2: Coordinating Conjunctions
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
Dependent Words
Adding dependent words is another way to link independent
clauses. Like the coordinating conjunctions, dependent words
show a relationship between two independent clauses.
Fused Sentence:
We took the elevator the others still got there before us.
Comma Splice
: We took the elevator, the others still got there before us.
Correct: Although
we took the elevator, the others got there before us.
Fused Sentence:
Cobwebs covered the furniture the room hadn’t been used in
years.
Comma Splice:
Cobwebs covered the furniture, the room hadn’t been used in
years.
Complete sentence:
Cobwebs covered the furniture
because
the room hadn’t been used in years.

or correct (C )
using dependent word.
Be sure to use the dependent word that best completes the
sentence. Use Table 8.3 at the end of the practice to help you
choose the correct dependent word to use in each sentence.
Remember that when you use a dependent word, you will turn
one part of the sentence into a dependent clause. If the
dependent clause comes at the beginning of the sentence, you
will need to follow it with a comma.
You
will need
52. The teacher was not in the classroom the students were
noisy and disruptive.
53. The teacher came into the room and slammed the door
behind her, the students stopped talking and settled down.
54. The teacher went to her desk and threw her books and purse
onto the desk, she looked out the window angrily without
speaking.
55. Although the teacher was obviously angry, she turned to her
students and apologized for her angry entry into the room.
56. The students relaxed and began to smile they realized the
teacher was not angry with them.
Table 8.3: Commonly Used Dependent Words
After
If
What
Although
Since

As
So that
When
Because
That
Where
Before
Though
Whether
Even though
Unless
Which
How
Until
While
Who
Whose

Introduction to Assignment This assignment contains a number of s.docx

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Introduction to Assignment This assignment contains a number of s.docx

Similar to Introduction to Assignment This assignment contains a number of s.docx (20)

More from doylymaura

More from doylymaura (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Introduction to Assignment This assignment contains a number of s.docx