U2 – KU121

 A complete sentence has three characteristics: ◦ First, it begins with a capital letter. ◦ In addition, it includes an end mark—either a period [. ], question mark [ ? ], or exclamation point [ ! ]. ◦ Most importantly, the complete sentence must contain at least one main clause. A main clause contains an independent subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.

 Do you think you got an A on your first KU121 unit?  My friend, Jen, went to Disney World yesterday.   I cannot believe that you like to go shopping!

 Because hungry sharks flashed on the surface of the waves.  Madison walked to school with her best friend, Maya, today.  Honestly telling everything he knew.  Eating too many olives for her own good.  What are your thoughts?!?

 A run-on sentence consists of two or more main clauses that are run together without proper punctuation.

 Judy leads a charmed life she never seems to have a serious accident.  The airport is about to shut down because of the snow and if the plane doesn't land soon it will have to go on to Boston.  The show begins at 7:30 make sure you're there before 7:15.  Let’s fix…

 Judy leads a charmed life she; never seems to have a serious accident.  The airport is about to shut down because of the snow, and if the plane doesn't land soon it will have to go on to Boston.  The show begins at 7:30 pm. Make sure you're there before 7:15pm.

 Fragments are incomplete sentences.  Fragments are pieces of sentences that have become disconnected from the main clause.

 Purdue offers many majors in engineering. Such as electrical, chemical, and industrial engineering.  Coach Dietz exemplified this behavior by walking off the field in the middle of a game. Leaving her team at a time when we needed her.  I need to find a new roommate. Because the one I have now isn't working out too well.  The current city policy on housing is incomplete as it stands. Which is why we believe the proposed amendments should be passed.

 Purdue offers many majors in engineering, such as electrical, chemical, and industrial engineering.  Coach Dietz exemplified this behavior by walking off the field in the middle of a game, leaving her team at a time when we needed her.  I need to find a new roommate because the one I have now isn't working out too well.  Because the current city policy on housing is incomplete as it stands, we believe the proposed amendments should be passed.

 A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined with a comma but no conjunction.

 To test a sentence to see if you have written a comma splice, take the sentence apart at the comma.  If the part before the comma is a complete thought and the part after the comma is also a complete thought, then you need to check whether the second clause starts with a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, so, for, yet, nor).  If you do not have a coordinating conjunction to separate the two complete thoughts, then you have a comma splice.

 1. Separate into two sentences.  2. Separate with a semi-colon.  3. Join together with a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, nor, so, yet).  4. Make one thought dependent upon the other with a subordinating conjunction (after, as if, now that…).