ECW, Week of Oct. 22/23

Run-on Sentences
Comma splices

What is a Run-on sentence:

Run-on sentences join two or more complete sentences with no punctuation.
How do we know we have a run-on sentence?
When two independent clauses that express two thoughts are put together without and conjunctions or punctuation.
*E.g. Jenny needed eggs for supper she went to the grocery store.

Run-on sentences are similar to comma splices.
Comma splices join two complete sentences with a comma, whereas they should be two separate sentences.
*E.g. Jenny needed eggs for supper, she went to the grocery store.

How can we fix the Run-on sentences/ Comma Splices.
Example sentences:
Jenny went to the store she needed eggs for supper. (wrong)
Jeenny went to the store, she needed eggs for supper. (wrong)

1. We can separate the two clauses into two sentences by adding a period between them.
-Jenny went to the store. She needed eggs for supper.

2. We can replace the comma with a semi-colon.
-Jenny went to the grocery store; she needed eggs for supper.
3. We can replace the comma with a co-ordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, yet, nor, or so).
- Jenny went to the grocery store, for she needed eggs for supper.
4. We can replace the comma with a subordinating conjunction (e.g., after, although, before, unless, as, because, even though, if, since, until, when, while).
- Because she needed eggs for supper, Jenny went to the grocery store.
5. Separate the run-on sentence with a semi-colon and transitional word (e.g., however, moreover, on the other hand, nevertheless, instead, also, therefore, consequently, otherwise, as a result).
- Jenny needed eggs for supper; therefore, she went to the store.
PRACTICE:
Fix the following two sentences in all the above mentioned ways:

1. She has no money she needs to find a better job.

2. I want to be successful, I work hard.

EXAMPLES OF BLOCK AND POINT BY POINT ORGANIZATION IN A COMPARE-CONTRAST PARAGRAPH

Block organization
Students and teachers lead different lives but they also have many things in common. Teachers spend a lot of time at school. They also go to the library to do research or borrow materials from there. At meal times they go to the cafeteria, just like students. They have to prepare for their classes. They are paid for their work. Similarly, students spend their days at school. When they have to prepare exams they go to the library to study. Most of their meals they take at the cafeteria. They must prepare for lessons, as well. The point where they differ from teachers is that they are not paid for their work.
Although on the surface it might look that teachers and students have very little in common, it is obvious that their lives are very similar.

POINT BY POINT ORGANIZATION


Although on the surface it might look that teachers and students have very little in common, at a closer look it appears that lives are very similar. First of all, they spend most of their time at school, in classes or doing extracurricular activities. Another point of similarity is that they go to the library to either do research or borrow materials. Likewise, they take most of their meals at the school cafeteria. A last similarity is that they have to prepare carefully for their classes. One point where they differ is that teachers are paid for their work, while students are not. It might seem that teachers and students are very different, but in reality they lead very similar lives.