Fused Sentence Guide: How to Fix Fused Sentences

A fused sentence is an ungrammatical sentence that contains two or more independent clauses not properly connected. Fused sentences are a type of run-on sentence, a long sentence that is difficult to read and confuses the reader. Fused sentences typically lack or misuse prepositional phrases, conjunctions, or punctuation marks between the independent clauses.

In English grammar, the basic unit for the expression of a complete thought is a sentence. A simple sentence contains a subject and a predicate. The subject is what the sentence is about and will contain a noun or pronoun. The predicate contains a verb phrase that makes the information clear and complete.

This basic unit is also referred to as an independent clause or a main clause. Often, a sentence will contain more than one independent clause to form a compound sentence. Coordinating conjunctions, such as “and” and “but,” as well as punctuation marks, such as a comma or a semicolon, join the clauses.

You can fix a fused sentence by adding punctuation marks, conjunctive adverbs, and conjunctions. Consider the following ways to correct the fused sentence “Amy brought a beach umbrella she forgot to bring one for me.”

• Make two separate sentences: Separate the two main clauses by adding a period. The fused sentence becomes two sentences: “Amy brought a beach umbrella. She forgot to bring one for me.”
• Add a semicolon: Use a semicolon to separate the two related independent clauses. In this case, the addition of a semi-colon forms the sentence: “Amy brought a beach umbrella; she forgot to bring one for me.”
• Use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb: You can also add a conjunctive adverb after a semicolon. Conjunctive adverbs include words like “however” and “otherwise.” For example, “Amy brought a beach umbrella; however, she forgot to bring one for me.”
• Insert a comma and a coordinating conjunction: To separate two independent clauses, add a comma and a coordinating conjunction after the first independent clause. Coordinating conjunctions include words “for,” “and,” and “but.” Adding a comma and coordinating conjunction creates the sentence: “Amy brought a beach umbrella, but she forgot to bring one for me.”
• Make one main clause a dependent clause: You can add a subordinating conjunction to turn one of the main clauses into a subordinate clause, or a dependent clause. For example, you might say “Even though Amy brought a beach umbrella, she forgot to bring one for me.” Other subordinating conjunctions include words like “whereas,” “whether,” and “although.”

Fused sentences and comma splices are types of run-on sentences. A run-on sentence occurs when a writer joins two or more complete sentences (also called independent clauses) together incorrectly. A comma splice happens when a comma incorrectly separates two independent clauses in a compound or compound-complex sentence. Two independent clauses combined without any conjunctions or punctuation form a fused sentence.

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