A fused sentence (or run-on) occurs when two independent clauses are joined without punctuation or without a coordinating conjunction.
Fused sentence: Independent clause independent clause. At first I wanted to be a doctor now I don't.
Some easy ways to correct a fused sentence are as follows:
1. Add a period after the first independent clause and capitalize the next word. (IC. IC)
At first I wanted to be a doctor. Now I don't.
2. Add a semicolon after the first independent clause. (IC; IC) At first I wanted to be a doctor; now I don't.
3. Add a comma and a coordinating conjunction after the first independent clause. (IC, CC IC)
At first I wanted to be a doctor, but now I don't.
Directions: For each sentence below, write FS if it is a fused sentence or C if it is correct.
1. My Aunt Grattis lives in a mansion on the Delaware River in a small town called Andalusia.
2. She is extremely fussy about her furniture for instance children under 12 cannot sit on her antiques.
3. One of the problems college students face today is credit card debt credit-card companies offer cards to students who don't have jobs.
4. Credit card companies can be unscrupulous one even offered a pre-approved card to my eight-year-old daughter.
5. I went to the walk-in clinic because I was feeling ill in fact, I had walking pneumonia.
6. Dr. Weeks's nurse called today she said that I need to exercise more often.
7. Since I am too busy studying grammar rules, I have no time to exercise the nurse did not think that was a very good excuse.
8. She is probably right I should exercise more.
9. Do you think that typing at the computer counts as exercise?
10. My fingers are certainly getting a good workout today I have been typing for three hours.
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