1.

The sentence, please.

Entrepreneurship is the study of small businesses .College students are embracing it enthusiastically.

Grammar's Version
Entrepreneurship is the study of small businesses. College students are embracing

2.

The sentence, please.

My father is chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations and, he also heads the Warrant Commission.

Grammar's Version
My father is chairman of the committee on Foreign Relations; he also heads the Warrant Commission.

3.

The sentence, please.

All over the country, people sell products over the Internet. These people are making impressive profits.

Grammar's Version
All over the country, people sell products over the Internet. These people are making impressive profits.

4.

The sentence, please.

One person had been exporting farm equipment. In fact, he exports over 30,000 pieces of machinery a year.

Grammar's Version
One person had been exporting farm equipment; in fact, he exports over 30,000 pieces of machinery a year.

5.

The sentence, please.

After the sixth inning, I went home.My family stayed.

Grammar's Version
After the sixth inning, I went home. My family stayed.

6.

The sentence, please.

Formal courses at the graduate level are now being taken by many elderly citizens.Some schools even offer them special programs.

Grammar's Version
Formal courses at the graduate level are now being taken by many elderly citizens. Some schools even offer them special programs.

7.

The sentence, please.

While time often erases bad memories, my ex-girlfriend never forgets anything,.She even remembers things that happened over five years ago.

Grammar's Version
While time often erases bad memories, my ex-girlfriend never forgets anything; she even remembers things that happened over five years ago.

8.

The sentence, please.

I believe that the teacher has been grading me unfairly.All she does is to look for minor mistakes.

Grammar's Version
I believe that the teacher has been grading me unfairly. All she does is look for minor mistakes.

9.

The sentence, please.

Even though the semester is almost over, the teacher does not know my name.She confuses me with other students.

Grammar's Version
Even though the semester is almost over, the teacher does not know my name. She confuses me with other students

10.

The sentence, please.

The team valiantly ran down the field, but still they could not score a touchdown.

Grammar's Version
The team valiantly ran down the field; still they could not score a touchdown. OR The team valiantly ran down the field. Still they could not score a touchdown.

1. Judy leads a charmed life she never seems to have a serious accident. This sentence is correct life, she life; she
The explanation, please!

Responses:
We have two independent clauses here and they must be connected somehow. We can't use the comma by itself without creating a comma splice.

2. 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. This sentence is correct snow, and snow; and snow. And
The explanation, please!

Responses:
We have two independent clauses connected with a little conjunction. Because of their complexity, it would be a very good idea to separate them with a comma.

3. The show begins at 7:30 make sure you're there before 7:15. This sentence is correct 7:30, make 7:30. Make
The explanation, please!

Responses:
Our second sentence is a directive based on what was said in the first sentence. Although the clauses are closely related, they still must be treated as independent clauses. We could connect them with a comma + so, or we can leave them as two separate sentences.

4. Marcellino always knew his way around the woods this is something he could always depend on. This sentence is correct woods; this woods, this
The explanation, please!

Responses:
These clauses are clearly related; the pronoun 'this' connects the two clauses in meaning. However, they are both independent clauses and need to be connected with a comma + a little conjunction or they should be separated with a semicolon.

5. Having prepared himself well for the realtor exams and having exhausted everyone in the family with his requests that someone help him with the true-and-false drills, Jeffrey, who had never been a particularly good student in high school, knew he was ready to take on the greatest challenge of his life. This sentence is correct drills; Jeffrey Jeffrey -- who had never been a particularly good student in high

school -- knew
The explanation, please!

Responses:
There is nothing wrong with that sentence as it is written. Remember that length has nothing to do with whether a sentence is a run-on or not.

Questions 5 through 10 are based on an exercise on Fused Sentences in The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsay Fowler and Jane E. Aaron, & Kay Limburg. 5th ed. HarperCollins: New York. 1995 (289). By permission of Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc.

6. Throughout history money and religion were closely linked there was little distinction between government and religion. This sentence is correct linked because there was linked, there was
The explanation, please!

Responses:
In our revision we subordinated the second clause to the first with the subordinating conjunction 'because.' The comma by itself doesn't do the trick; it only creates a comma-splice.

7. The head of state and the religious leader were often the same person all power rested in one ruler. This sentence is correct person, all person; all
The explanation, please!

Responses:

The semicolon can be used here to connect two nicely balanced and closely related ideas. The comma by itself creates a comma splice.

8. These powerful leaders decided what objects would serve as money their backing encouraged public faith in the money. This sentence is correct money. Their money, their
The explanation, please!

Responses:
Although it would be possible to connect these two clauses with a semicolon, probably the best bet is to separate them and treat them as separate sentences. The comma by itself would create another comma splice; a comma + a little conjunction would probably not be an adequate solution to this run-on.

9. Coins were minted of precious metals the religious overtones of money were then strengthened. This sentence is correct metals, the When coins were minted of precious metals, the . . . .
The explanation, please!

Responses:
The comma by itself creates a comma splice. Instead of combining these independent clauses with a comma and a little conjunction, we have subordinated the first clause to the second with the subordinating word 'when'.

10. People already believed the precious metals to be divine so their use in money intensified its allure.

This sentence is correct divine, so divine; so divine their

The explanation, please!

Responses:
Although we have connected these two independent clauses with a little conjunction ('so'), we also need a comma to separate these clauses. We never use a semicolon and a little conjunction to connect independent clauses.

Kimberly sat on the bleachers and cheered for the team; Tom watched her as he vigorously defended the goal. Kimberly sat on the bleachers and cheered for the team. Tom watched her as he vigorously defended the goal.
The sentence, please.

2.

The cat jumped from step to step, and it gracefully landed with each jump.
Grammar's Version

The cat jumped from step to step; it gracefully landed with each jump. OR The cat jumped from step to step. It gracefully landed with each jump. OR The cat jumped from step to step, and it gracefully landed with each jump.

3.

The sentence, please.

The professor stated that he especially favors personally connected papers.These

Grammar's Version

The professor stated that he especially favors personally connected papers; these reflect the most emotion. OR The professor stated that he especially favors personally connected papers. These reflect the most emotion.

4.

The sentence, please.

Anthony did not agree with the method he was taught., He found other means to solve the problem.
Grammar's Version

Anthony did not agree with the method he was taught; he found other means to solve the problem. OR Anthony did not agree with the method he was taught. He found other means to solve the problem. OR Anthony did not agree with the method he was taught, and he found other means to solve the problem.

5.

The sentence, please.

I learned the song on the piano but, I chose to never play it.

Grammar's Version

I learned the song on the piano, but I chose to never play it.

6.

The sentence, please.

Nicole chose what she thought were the best answers to the questions. However, her grade did not reflect these choices.
Grammar's Version

Nicole chose what she thought were the best answers to the questions; her grade proved she was wrong.

7.

The sentence, please.

The correct format looked odd, so Victoria chose not to complete the problem this way.
Grammar's Version

The correct format looked odd, so Victoria chose not to complete the problem this way.

8.

The sentence, please.

Michael sculpted the statue, and he also painted the picture.

Grammar's Version

Michael sculpted the statue, but he also painted the picture.

9.

The sentence, please.

The Revolutionary War was a triumph,and it was also a struggle.

Grammar's Version

The Revolutionary War was a triumph, but it was also a struggle.

10.

The sentence, please.

Victoria managed the class; Julia coached the team.

Grammar's Version

Victoria managed the class, but Julia coached the team.