ACT Preparation / Unit 2 ACT 0123 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Four Ways to Join Two Clauses
The idea
Two independent clauses can be joined or separated in four correct ways, and the choice among them follows meaning. A period separates them fully. A comma with a coordinating conjunction names the relation. A semicolon joins two closely related clauses without naming the relation. A colon says the second clause explains or completes the first. A comma alone is never one of the four.
In practice
Worked example: "The plan had one flaw, nobody had tested it." A period is correct: two sentences. A semicolon is correct: the clauses are closely related. A comma with but is wrong, because there is no contrast. A colon, "The plan had one flaw: nobody had tested it," fits best, because the second clause names the flaw. The original comma alone is a splice.
Where people slip
Several marks can be grammatical at once. When the question asks for the best choice, the mark whose meaning matches the relation wins; when it asks which choice is not acceptable, look for the splice.
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