One. Comma Splices—joining two complete sentences with a
comma (3 of these on an essay at Cal State or UC results in an automatic F)
The only words you can use to join to complete sentences
with a comma before the joining word are what are called “FANBOYS”—for, and,
nor, but, or, yet, so
For example, these sentences are correct with one of the FANBOYS words:
- Eddie Haskell was known as an obsequious sniveling fraud in the iconic Leave It to Beaver, but he has remained throughout the ages a beloved TV character.
- McMahon abstains from HomeTown Buffet, and he also avoids Shakey’s, Claim Jumpers, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Del Taco, Subway, Quiznos, and Dominoes.
- Paris Hilton remains the quintessential celebrity, yet her achievements in life are nil rendering her an absolute cipher.
Examples of comma splices in which conjunctive adverbs, INCORRECTLY, are used to join two complete sentences.
- Going AWOL is a sign of cowardice, however, we should not coerce the absent soldier from going back to his platoon.
- We are a country that dismisses sleep as the act of
the Lazy Man, to the contrary, though, sleep is essential to supreme
health.
- Young people are addicted to text messaging,
moreover, they ostracize their peers who are not “text-message literate”
because they are considered “out of touch.”
- You should avoid Claim Jumpers tonight for dinner,
instead go home, barbecue yourself some salmon, and sauté a pound of
spinach with olive oil, herbs, spices, and freshly grated Parmesan
cheese.