Harris/English 101PUNCTUATING COMPOUND SENTENCES

Exercise 2-1 (text, p. H-13)

Directions: In the following examples, correct each comma splice or fused sentence in two ways and decide which way works better. Be creative: don’t correct every one in the same way. Some sentences may be correctly punctuated already.

Example:

The castle looked eerie from a distance, it filled us with nameless fear as we approached. (comma splice)

  1. The castle looked eerie from a distance; it filled us with nameless fear as we approached.(compound sentence punctuated with a semicolon)
  2. The castle, which looked eerie from a distance, filled us with nameless fear as we approached. (complex sentence with adjective clause modifying “castle.”)
  1. We followed the scientist down a flight of wet stone steps at last he stopped before a huge oak door.
  1. Dr. Frankenstein selected a heavy key, he twisted it in the lock. Before us on a dissecting table lay a form with closed eyes to behold it sent a quick chill down my spine.
  1. The scientist strode to the table, he lifted a white-gloved hand.
  1. The huge door gave a groan it swung open on a dimly lighted laboratory.
  1. Dr. Frankenstein flung a power switch, blue streamers of static electricity crackled about the table, the creature gave a grunt and opened smoldering eyes.
  1. “I’ve won!” exclaimed the scientist in triumph he circled the room doing a demented Irish reel.
  1. The creature’s right hand strained, the heavy steel manacle imprisoning his wrist began to creak.
  1. Like a staple wrenched from a document, the manacle yielded.
  1. The creature sat upright and tugged at the shackles binding his ankles, Frankenstein uttered a piercing scream.

Exercise 2-2

Directions: Revise the following passage, using subordination, semicolons (either alone or with conjunctive adverbs), or a comma + conjunction to punctuate the comma splice and fused sentences. You may also separate sentences (don’t forget capitalization). Some sentences may be correct.

Have you ever wondered why you drive on parkways and park on driveways, that’s about as logical as your nose running while your feet smell! When you stop to think about it, these phrases don’t make sense yet we tend to accept them without thinking about what they literally mean we simply take their intended meanings for granted. Think, however, how confusing they are for a person who is just learning the language. If, for example, you have just learned the verb park, you would logically assume that a parkway is where you should park your car, of course when most people see a parkway or a driveway they realize that braking on a parkway would be hazardous, while speeding through a driveway will not take them very far. However, our language is full of many idiomatic expressions that may be difficult for a person from another language background to understand. Fortunately, there are plenty of questions to keep us all confused, such as why Americans commonly refer to going to work as “punching the clock.”