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Sentence Sentence Fragment Test Yourself

========   Fused Sentences
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When two independent clauses are joined together without any punctuation between them, the result is a fused sentence.

  • I don't like musicals my friend loves them.
  • The desk is lopsided and scratched it needs to be fixed.

You can correct fused sentences in one of the following ways:

Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet, nor, for, since) to join two independent clauses.

back.gif (100 bytes) Examples:

  • I don't like musicals, but my friend loves them.
  • The desk is lopsided and scratched, so it needs to be fixed.

Use a semicolon to join the two independent clauses.

back.gif (100 bytes) Examples:

  • I don't like musicals; my friend loves them.
  • The desk is lopsided and scratched; it needs to be fixed.

Use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb between the two independent clauses.

back.gif (100 bytes) Examples:

  • I don't like musicals; however, my friend loves them.
  • The desk is lopsided and scratched; hence, it needs to be fixed.

back.gif (100 bytes) Examples of conjunctive adverbs:

however nonetheless therefore still
consequently moreover. thus besides.
further likewise finally instead
hence meanwhile similarly namely
nevertheless thereafter furthermore incidentally

Separate the independent clauses into two sentences.

back.gif (100 bytes) Examples:

  • I don't like musicals. My friend loves them.
  • The desk is lopsided and scratched. It needs to be fixed.

Make one of the clauses, preferably the one which is less important, a dependent clause.

back.gif (100 bytes) Examples:

  • Though my friend likes musicals, I don't.
  • Even though the desk is lopsided and scratched, it can be fixed.

Go to the next page to test yourself fwd.gif (107 bytes)

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