Run-on Sentences
A run-on results when two sentences
(called “independent clauses”) are joined without correct punctuation.
Comma Splice Run-ons
When two independent sentences are
separated by a comma instead of a period, the re-sult is called a comma splice.
Incorrect: Swimming is good exercise, I do it every morning.
Incorrect: I still haven’t figured out
Spanish,
I’ve been studying it for years.
Incorrect: I have been waiting here for
one hour,
I’m going home.
Fix Option # 1: Join the independent clauses with
coordinating conjunction (also called a
FANBOYS conjunction: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So). A comma should be placed
before the FANBOYS conjunction.
Correct: Swimming is good exercise, so
I do it every morning.
Correct: I still haven’t figured out
Spanish,
and I’ve been studying it for years.
Correct: I have been waiting here for
one hour,
so I’m going home.
Fix Option #2: Separate the sentences with a period.
Correct: Swimming is good exercise. I do it every morning.
Correct: I still haven’t figured out
Spanish.
I’ve been studying it for years.
Correct: I have been waiting here for
one hour.
I’m going home.
Fix Option #3: Use a semicolon to separate the two sentences. A semicolon acts in the same way as a period in that it
separates two complete sentences, but it indicates a close relationship between
the sentences.
Correct:
Swimming is good exercise; I do it
every morning.
Correct: I still haven’t figured out
Spanish;
I’ve been studying it for years.
Correct:
I have been waiting here for one hour; I’m
going home.
Fused Sentence Run-ons
Sometimes
two independent sentences are run together without punctuation or a con-junction. These are called fused
sentences. You can fix fused sentences using the same options
described in the “comma splices” section above.
Incorrect: I hope to see a movie this weekend there is a new one in the
dollar theater.
Fix Option #1: Add a
conjunction to join the sentences. (In this example the conjunction does not need a comma because it
is a subordinating conjunction.)
Correct: I hope to see a movie this weekend because there is a new one in the dollar theater.
Fix Option #2: Separate
the sentences with a period.
Correct: I hope to see a movie this weekend. There is a new one in the dollar theater.
Fix Option #3: Use a
semicolon to indicate a close relationship between the two sen-tences.
Correct:
I hope to see a movie this weekend; there is
a new one in the dollar the-ater.
Run-ons—Exercise A
Underline the group of words where the comma splice or fused sentence
occurs. Once you
have identified the run-ons, correct them.
They did it again why do people keep doing this? All I’m asking for is
that my roommates show a little courtesy. Why can’t they place the toilet paper
roll on the correct way it’s not that hard! You just take the toilet paper,
unhinge the bar, and slip the roll on with the squares facing you. Why would
anyone in their right mind place the squares on the wall side? It makes
restroom breaks so stressful, you have to then awkwardly reach your hand up
through the bar to grab the paper and then rip it off while making sure you don’t
unwind the whole roll. I swear if this hap-pens again, I’m going to be the one
unwound.
Run-ons—Exercise B
Underline the portion of the
sentence where the comma splice or fused sentence occurs.
Once you have identified the run-ons, correct them.
My ideal vacation involves going somewhere interesting, and then not
doing much at all. I don’t like busy vacations I don’t want to feel like I have
to take a vacation from my vacation. I like rest for example, I would love to
visit Italy, but touring the famous sites wouldn’t be my idea of fun. I would
rather rent a little villa in the country or along the coast I would just live
like a local for a few weeks. The Vatican, the Parthenon, and the Leaning Tower
have been around for a while, they can wait a little longer for me to see them.
Some may call it boring, I call it actually getting some much needed rest.
Run-ons—Exercise C
Underline the portion of the
sentence where the comma splice or fused sentence occurs.
Once you have identified the run-ons, correct them.
The Giving Tree by Shel
Silverstein is more than just a children’s book, it encom-passes so much about how
I want to live my life and raise my children. The themes of service,
sacrifice, and simplicity can be incorporated into any part of my life, the tree serves this little boy his entire life and loves him with every
branch and leaf it ever gave. In contrast, as the little boy grows and becomes
more ambitious, he only finds discontentment. The
Giving Tree shows why service and contentment
Run-ons—Exercise D
Underline the portion of the
sentence where the comma splice or fused sentence occurs.
Once you have identified the run-ons, correct them.
Last week
my boyfriend and I went ice-skating, it was a frigid night. When we left the
house, we were shocked with freezing winds that chilled us to our bones. Upon
arriving at the ice-skating rink, we had to switch out our shoes with ice-skating shoes normally this would be
easy, but our frozen fingers had to claw at our shoelaces. After gleefully
sliding around on the ice for half an hour, we both decided the cold was just
too much, we needed to get inside to a warm place. After we got warmed up, we
drank hot chocolate and watched a movie we should have just done that to begin with
and skipped the skating.
Answer
Key: Run-ons—Exercise A
Corrections are underlined.
Answers may vary.
They did it again. Why do people keep doing this? All I’m asking
for is that my roommates show a little courtesy. Why can’t they place the
toilet paper roll on the correct way? It’s not that hard! You just take
the toilet paper, unhinge the bar, and slip the roll on with the squares facing
you. Why would anyone in their right mind place the squares on the wall
side? It makes restroom breaks so stressful because you have to
then awkwardly reach your hand up through the bar to grab the paper and then
rip it off while making sure you don’t unwind the whole roll. I swear if this
happens again, I’m going to be the one unwound.
Answer
Key: Run-ons—Exercise B
Corrections are underlined.
Answers may vary.
My ideal vacation involves going somewhere interesting, and then not
doing much at all. I don’t like busy vacations. I don’t want to feel
like I have to take a vacation from my vacation. I like rest. For
example, I would love to visit Italy, but touring the famous sites wouldn’t be
my idea of fun. I would rather rent a little villa in the country or along the coast.
I would just live like a local for a few weeks.
The Vatican, the Parthenon, and the Leaning Tower have been around for a
while, so they can wait a little longer for me to see them. Some
may call it boring;
I call it actually getting some much
needed rest.
Answer
Key: Run-ons—Exercise C
Corrections are underlined.
Answers may vary.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is more than
just a children’s book; it encom-passes
so much about how I want to live my life and raise my children. The themes of service, sacrifice, and simplicity
can be incorporated into any part of my life. The tree
serves this little boy his entire life and loves him with every branch and leaf
it ever gave. In contrast, as the little boy grows and becomes more ambitious, he only finds discontentment. The Giving Tree shows why
service and contentment
with the simple things are such key aspects of being truly happy.
That’s why I read this book once a year.
Answer
Key: Run-ons—Exercise D
Corrections are underlined.
Answers may vary.
Last week
my boyfriend and I went ice-skating. It was a frigid night. When we left
the house, we were shocked with freezing winds that chilled us to our bones.
Upon arriving at the ice-skating rink, we had to switch out our shoes with
ice-skating shoes. Normally this would be easy, but our frozen fingers had to claw at our
shoelaces. After gleefully sliding around on the ice for half an hour, we both
decided the cold was just too much; we needed to get inside to a warm place. After we got
warmed up, we drank hot chocolate and watched a movie. We should have
just done that to begin with and skipped the skating.
