Editing Character Analyses
After revising your character analysis, you should edit it for style and correctness. Now is the time to carefully review sentences, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, usage, and grammar. Use the following activities to edit your analysis.
Editing to Combine and Punctuate Sentences
When you combine sentences to create better flow, you need to make sure the sentences still have correct punctuation. You can join two sentences (independent clauses) together, but you need to use both a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet). You can also use just a semicolon.
Simple Sentences
Gatsby can’t change the past. Tom can’t make Daisy love him again.
Compound Sentences
Gatsby can’t change the past, and Tom can’t make Daisy love him again.
Gatsby can’t change the past; Tom can’t make Daisy love him again.
Leaving out the coordinating conjunction creates an error called a comma splice. Leaving out both the comma and the conjunction creates an error called a run-on sentence.
You can also combine two sentences using a subordinating conjunction (although, because, when, since, after, etc.). When the conjunction starts the sentence, place a comma after the clause. When the conjunction comes in the middle of the sentence, you usually don't need to set off the clause with a comma.
Simple Sentences
Myrtle is killed. Wilson loses everything else in his life.
Complex Sentences
After Myrtle is killed, Wilson loses everything else in his life.
Wilson loses everything else in his life after Myrtle is killed.