Fused sentence

Definition

A fused sentence occurs when two independent clauses are joined together without any punctuation or coordinating conjunction, resulting in a run-on sentence. This lack of separation can make the sentence confusing and hard to read, as it combines complete thoughts without the necessary breaks. Understanding how to identify and correct fused sentences is crucial for clear and effective writing.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Fused sentences can often be corrected by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction, such as 'and' or 'but'.
2. Identifying a fused sentence often involves looking for two independent clauses that are connected without any punctuation or conjunction.
3. Fused sentences can lead to misunderstandings because they combine separate ideas without clear separation.
4. The primary goal in correcting fused sentences is to enhance clarity and readability in writing.
5. Understanding fused sentences is essential for mastering complex sentence structures and improving overall writing skills.

Review Questions

• How can identifying fused sentences improve your writing skills?
  • Identifying fused sentences can significantly enhance your writing skills by helping you recognize when two independent clauses are improperly combined. This awareness allows you to create clearer, more structured sentences, ultimately improving readability. By correcting these errors, you develop a better understanding of sentence structure, which contributes to more effective communication in your writing.
• Discuss the importance of using coordinating conjunctions to avoid fused sentences in complex sentence construction.
  • Using coordinating conjunctions is essential in preventing fused sentences because they provide necessary connections between independent clauses. By incorporating conjunctions like 'and', 'but', or 'or', writers can create more coherent sentences that accurately convey relationships between ideas. This practice not only helps avoid run-on sentences but also enriches the overall complexity and flow of writing.
• Evaluate the impact of fused sentences on reader comprehension and how they can be effectively corrected in academic writing.
  • Fused sentences can significantly hinder reader comprehension by obscuring the relationship between ideas and creating confusion within the text. To effectively correct these sentences in academic writing, one can separate the clauses using appropriate punctuation, such as periods or semicolons, or by adding coordinating conjunctions. This approach ensures clarity and allows readers to grasp complex arguments more readily, which is vital for maintaining the integrity of academic discourse.

Related terms

independent clause: A group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

coordinating conjunction:

A word that connects two independent clauses; common examples include 'and', 'but', and 'or'.

run-on sentence: A grammatical error that occurs when two or more independent clauses are improperly connected without proper punctuation or conjunctions.