Incorrect: The dog barked at the mailman the mailman ran away.
Explanation: This sentence combines two independent clauses without proper punctuation or a conjunction. This makes it difficult to understand the relationship between the two ideas.
Corrected: The dog barked at the mailman, and the mailman ran away.
Here's another example:
Incorrect: I went to the store I bought milk.
Corrected: I went to the store, and I bought milk.
Other ways to fix fused sentences:
* Use a semicolon: The dog barked at the mailman; the mailman ran away.
* Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so): The dog barked at the mailman, so the mailman ran away.
Remember: A fused sentence is a grammatical error that can make your writing unclear and difficult to read. Always be sure to use proper punctuation and conjunctions to separate your independent clauses.