Conventions of Composition Rule 2 Practice

1. Wrong: The murder in the tunnel created a nightmarish traffic jam nevertheless drivers waited patiently for more than an hour.

Better: The murder in the tunnel created a nightmarish traffic jam; nevertheless, drivers waited patiently for more than an hour.

Explanation: Nevertheless, a conjunctive adverb, can't join these two independent clauses into one sentence, so a semicolon is needed.

2. Wrong: For many years, The Wizard of Oz was the all-time favorite movie at one time, every kid on my block wore ruby slippers.

Better: For many years, The Wizard of Oz was the all-time favorite movie; at one time, every kid on my block wore ruby slippers.

Explanation: The first version leaves two complete sentences joined as if they were one sentence. This kind of error is called a run on.

3. Wrong: When the tiny babies started to appear around campus, everyone loved finding them, nobody knew who kept putting them up.

Better: When the tiny babies started to appear around campus, everyone loved finding them. Nobody knew who kept putting them up.

Explanation: These are complete sentences joined by a comma. The error is called a comma splice.

4. Wrong: My daughter said we needed another dog to keep us company, we already have six dogs.

Better: Although we already have six dogs, my daughter said we needed another dog to keep us company.

Explanation: Two complete sentences, joined by a comma creates an error called a comma splice.

5. Wrong: She gave good advice, she told us all to look up and look around.

Better: She gave good advice: she told us all to look up and look around.

Explanation: You can join these two complete sentences with a colon because the second one provides a definition for the last word in the first one.