<p>I've had a lot of problems with the ron-on sentence/comma splice on the SAT writting sections. Please tell me when it is appropriate to use a semicolon and when to use a conjunction (and). Also, what type of conjunction is and, do I use it to connect coordinating to subordinating or coordination to coordinating?</p>
<p>I have no idea what you're talking about with the coordinating, discoordinating, and combobulating sentences, but I have found after years of writing lengthy papers of fairly professional quality that there is a simple rule of thumb: The simpler the better. If it's convoluted and hard to read, it's probably crap.</p>
<p>anyone else?
also, when are gerunds correct?
For example:
THe first step (in creating) a study schedule ... is corrrect; so is: No emplyeee was more justified (in asking) for a raise than Kendra.
Does this mean the infinitive form would in incorrect, or are all both fine? When is the gerund form ok to use?</p>
<p>Use your English grammar textbook -- all the answers you want are in there. And if you need it, get an English tutor to help you master the nuances, or ask your English teacher for help after school.</p>
<p>Okay, seriously? Just buy Strunk and White's Elements of Style. It was recommended to me by several professors in college, and it is probably the best resource you'll ever have in writing good, concise, intelligent papers. You shouldn't be thinking about your writing too much from a technical standpoint, you should be practicing and improving it. </p>
<p>Strunk and White is the best place to start.</p>
<p>UCLAri, he is worrying about the SAT Writing section, probably the multiple choice too, not about writing college papers. Elements of Style is great for the latter, but not ideal for SAT grammar. </p>
<p>It is appropriate to use a semicolon when the two parts of the sentence are independent clauses, meaning they both have a subject and a main verb (not a gerund/infinitive basically). Try seperating the senences and seeing if they still make sense. If so, then you can use a semicolon. You can also use the conjunction "and" in this situation, but the important rule to remember is that if you use "and" to seperate two independent clauses, you need a comma before the "and." If you don't remember the comma, then it is called it is a faulty transition. Also, if there is just a comma seperating two independent clauses, then it is a comma splice.<br>
"And" is a coordinating conjunction, just like "but." It is used when both clauses are of roughly equal importance when there are two independent clauses. Subordinating conje****ions include "although, for, etc."
A run-on sentence does not have both a subject and a main verb. For example:</p>
<p>"Clara Barton, an American nurse, whose influence as a reformer in the field of health care almost equals that of Florence Nightingale."</p>
<p>If you want to learn grammar quickly and easily without needing to know complicated terms, then try PR's Grammar Smart.</p>
<p>Regardless, developing a natural ability to write is more important than the technical knowledge of how it works. You guys act like I never took those tests (okay, I took the SAT II writing instead, so sue me...) I did, and I scored well in the 90th+ percentiles without worrying about niggling technical issues. That's my point.</p>
<p>I know too many grammarians who are poor writers.</p>