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Da VIP Academy / GED / RLA / Grammar, Usage & Mechanics

Sentence Structure

Fix run-ons, comma splices, and fragments, and combine clauses correctly.

Practice this skillAll RLA skills

How it works

Two complete sentences need real glue

Join independent clauses with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus and/but/or/so/for/yet/nor. A comma alone is a comma splice.

Fragments are missing a piece

'Because the bus stopped running.' has no main clause. Attach it: 'Because the bus stopped running, workers lost their ride.'

Worked examples

  1. Fix: 'The lot was empty, neighbors cleaned it up.'

    1. Two complete thoughts joined by a comma = splice.
    2. Add a conjunction or semicolon.
    3. 'The lot was empty, so neighbors cleaned it up.'

Words to know

Independent clause
A group of words that can stand alone as a sentence.
Comma splice
Two sentences joined by only a comma.

Test-day tips

  • • Cover the comma: if both sides can stand alone, you need more than a comma.
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