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It’s best practice to avoid run-on sentences. Run-on sentences are not only unnecessarily long and wordy sentences that can confuse the reader, but they are also grammatically incorrect.
Let’s take a closer look at what run-on sentences are, how to identify a run-on sentence, and review ways that you can correct run-on sentences in your writing.
Then, to make sure you catch any grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors in your copy, use the Originality.ai AI Grammar Checker.
Before we take a further look at how to identify a run-on sentence, let’s do a quick review of independent clauses for context.
It can be as simple as two words with a subject and a verb. However, it may be more complex with multiple clauses joined with conjunctions and punctuation.
Examples:
An independent clause does not depend on another sentence to finish the thought.
Generally, a run-on sentence happens in cases where two or more independent clauses in a sentence are joined together incorrectly. However, that’s not the only scenario when run-on sentences occur.
There are a few causes of run-on sentences:
In writing if you want to add context for the reader, and if these details include their own subject and predicate, we cannot add them to another independent clause without the necessary punctuation or coordinating conjunctions (for example: and, or, but).
Example:
A single comma cannot be used to join two independent clauses. A comma splice is created if there isn’t a conjunction used to join the two sentences.
Example:
Run-on sentences can be identified by checking how many subjects exist in your sentence.
Do you have multiple subjects in a sentence? Check that each subject has a predicate.
Note: The sentence “Sarah and I go to the movies.” has one subject and one predicate. In this instance “Sarah and I” are one subject and could also be replaced with “we.”
Once you have determined there is more than one subject and predicate (two clauses), it is time to figure out if the clauses are independent or dependent.
Remember, an independent clause includes a subject and predicate and expresses a complete thought.
In contrast, while a dependent clause has a subject and a verb, it is not a complete concept, thought, or idea.
Example:
In the dependent clause, a dependent word marker, ‘after,’ is used (other common dependent words include: ‘although,’ ‘as,’ ‘because,’ and ‘if’).
This dependent word marker makes the sentence incomplete, as the reader is left wondering what happens after summer ends. If the dependent clause was left as is, it would become a sentence fragment.
A dependent and independent clause can be joined together with only a comma, but two independent clauses cannot.
If your sentence includes two complete thoughts, i.e. two subjects and two predicates, without a dependent word marker, then you have a run-on sentence.
Example:
Other common run-on sentences are formed when a transitional phrase, such as ‘therefore,’ ‘in other words,’ and ‘although,’ is used without proper punctuation.
A transitional phrase cannot join two sentences like a coordinating conjunction, and mistakes involving transitional phrases often result in comma splices.
Example:
Once you have identified your run-on sentence, you can choose a method to correct it.
After finding a run-on sentence, it’s time to fix it. You can decide how you’d like to reword the phrase with proper grammar.
The easiest way to join two clauses is to split them into separate sentences using a period.
Example:
Sometimes splitting the sentences can lead to a choppy-sounding paragraph.
If you want to create a smoother flow between sentences or show a close relationship between them, there are other ways to connect a run-on sentence correctly. One way is through a coordinating conjunction such as ‘and,’ ‘so,’ ‘but,’ or ‘for.’
A coordinating conjunction works like a plus symbol (+) in mathematics, tying the two clauses together.
Example:
In the above example, ‘but’ acts as a coordinating conjunction between the two clauses, showing the relationship between the two sentences.
If a conjunction does not tie the sentences together the way you’d like, you can use a subordinating conjunction (such as ‘after,’ ‘as,’ ‘because,’ or ‘while’). This will help to turn an independent clause into a dependent one.
Then you can correctly connect the dependent and an independent clause with a comma.
Example:
Two independent clauses that are closely linked can be joined with a semicolon.
The semicolon separates the independent clauses while joining them in one sentence.
If a run-on sentence uses a transitional expression and lacks the correct punctuation, you can fix it with a semicolon before the transitional expression and a comma after it.
Example:
Amending run-on sentences in your writing improves the clarity and readability of your content so that it is grammatically correct.
Not sure if you caught all of the run-on sentences in your copy? Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors with the Originality.ai AI Grammar Checker.
Then, get more grammar tips in our top grammar resources:
