Reading & Writing: Standard English Conventions

Two independent clauses joined with no punctuation or conjunction. Fix with a period, semicolon, colon, or comma + FANBOYS. Wrong: 'The lab closed early we left.' Right: 'The lab closed early, so we left.'

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma. A comma alone cannot join independent clauses. Wrong: 'She sings, he dances.' Right: 'She sings, and he dances.' or 'She sings; he dances.'

A clause with a subject and a finite verb that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. Example: 'The experiment succeeded.'

A word group punctuated as a sentence but lacking a subject, a finite verb, or a complete thought. Wrong: 'Because the rain stopped.' Right: 'Because the rain stopped, we played.'

Use a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Example: 'I studied, but I still felt unprepared.'

The seven coordinating conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.