ACT English: Fix Run-Ons and Comma Splices—Four Repair Methods

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma. A run-on joins them with no punctuation. Both are errors. Example of comma splice: "The weather was cold, we stayed inside." (Two independent clauses joined by comma alone.) Example of run-on: "The weather was cold we stayed inside." (No punctuation between them.) To fix, use one of four methods: (1) Period—"The weather was cold. We stayed inside." (2) Semicolon—"The weather was cold; we stayed inside." (3) Conjunction—"The weather was cold, so we stayed inside." (4) Subordination—"Because the weather was cold, we stayed inside."

Quick test: Can each part stand alone as a complete sentence? If yes and they are joined by comma alone, it is a splice.

Method 1 (Period): Separates cleanly. Use when the two clauses are unrelated or contrast strongly. "She studied hard. He did not." Method 2 (Semicolon): Connects related ideas. "She studied hard; he goofed off." Method 3 (Coordinating conjunction): FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). "She studied hard, but he goofed off." Comma goes before the conjunction. Method 4 (Subordination): One idea becomes dependent on the other. "Because she studied hard, she passed." On the ACT, the best method depends on the relationship between ideas. If one idea causes the other, use subordination. If they are equal, use period or semicolon. If they contrast, use "but" or "yet."

Practice: Read each comma splice and decide which method best shows the relationship between the clauses.

Splice 1: "The exam was difficult, many students failed." Method: Subordination or semicolon. Fixed: "Because the exam was difficult, many students failed." OR "The exam was difficult; many students failed." Splice 2: "She loves basketball, she plays every day." Method: Semicolon or conjunction. Fixed: "She loves basketball; she plays every day." OR "She loves basketball, so she plays every day." Splice 3: "The store was crowded, we left immediately." Method: Subordination or conjunction. Fixed: "Because the store was crowded, we left immediately." OR "The store was crowded, so we left immediately." For each splice, try multiple methods and choose the one that best shows the relationship.

Do this daily until fixing splices becomes automatic.

Comma splices and run-ons appear in 2-3 ACT English questions per section. They test whether you recognize sentence boundaries and can fix them correctly. Mastering the four repair methods gives you options to choose the clearest, most sophisticated fix.

Practice identifying and fixing splices until each repair method feels natural. By test day, you will spot splices instantly and know how to fix them.