Common Types of Run-On Sentences and How to Fix Them

Avoiding Run-On Sentences in English Writing

When writing in English, one common mistake that many people make is using run-on sentences. These sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are incorrectly connected, creating a confusing and hard-to-understand sentence structure. The good news is that run-on sentences can be easily corrected once you know what to look for.

So, what is a run-on sentence exactly? It is important to understand the basics before learning how to fix them. A run-on sentence is when two or more independent clauses, or complete thoughts, are joined together without proper punctuation or conjunctions. This lack of clarity can make it challenging for readers to understand the intended message.

Let's look at an example. Consider the following sentence:

"Sheila loves to read books she can't resist the allure of a captivating story."

In this case, the sentence has two independent clauses: "Sheila loves to read books" and "she can't resist the allure of a captivating story." However, instead of separating these clauses into two distinct sentences or properly joining them, the sentence is joined together without any punctuation or conjunctions. As a result, it becomes a run-on sentence.

Run-on sentences can be confusing and may leave readers unsure of where one thought ends and another begins. However, there are several ways to fix run-on sentences and improve the clarity of your writing. In the example above, the run-on sentence can be corrected in two ways:

1. Separate the independent clauses into two distinct sentences:

"Sheila loves to read books. She can't resist the allure of a captivating story."

2. Use appropriate punctuation or conjunctions to join the clauses:

"Sheila loves to read books, and she can't resist the allure of a captivating story."

Both of these methods create clear and cohesive sentences that allow the reader to follow along easily without any confusion. By employing these simple techniques, you can effectively eliminate run-on sentences from your writing and improve overall clarity.

In summary, run-on sentences are a common mistake made by many people when writing in English. However, with a basic understanding of what constitutes a run-on sentence and the knowledge of how to correct them, you can significantly enhance the readability and coherence of your writing. So, make sure to keep an eye out for run-on sentences in your work and make the necessary adjustments to ensure that your message is conveyed clearly and effectively.

Sentence Fragments: How to Understand and Correct Them

When it comes to constructing grammatically correct sentences, it is crucial to avoid sentence fragments. Sentence fragments occur when separate parts of a sentence are not properly joined, resulting in incomplete thoughts. To create meaningful and effective sentences, it is important to know what makes a complete sentence and how to join sentence fragments correctly.

A complete sentence should have both a subject and a predicate. The subject is the part of the sentence that performs the action or is being described, while the predicate provides information about the subject or what the subject is doing. For example, in the sentence "Sarah is reading a book," the subject is "Sarah" and the predicate is "is reading a book."

Sentence fragments often happen when either the subject or predicate is missing. For instance, the phrase "Walking in the park" lacks a subject and is therefore considered a fragment. To correct this, a subject needs to be added, such as "I enjoy walking in the park." Similarly, a fragment like "With a smile on his face" lacks a predicate. By adding a predicate, such as "He greeted his friends with a smile on his face," the fragment becomes a complete sentence.

Another way to correct sentence fragments is by joining them properly to other sentences using punctuation. Commas and semicolons are commonly used for this purpose. For example, the fragments "She loves to swim" and "He enjoys hiking" can be joined and corrected with a comma, resulting in the sentence "She loves to swim, and he enjoys hiking." Likewise, a semicolon can be used to correctly join fragments, such as "I love to bake; it relaxes me."

In addition to punctuation, it is important to pay attention to conjunctions when joining sentence fragments. Overusing or misusing conjunctions can result in sentence fragments. For example, the fragment "She went to the store, and bought some groceries" is incorrect because it lacks a predicate after the conjunction "and." To correct it, a full predicate needs to be included, such as "She went to the store and bought some groceries for dinner."

To sum up, understanding and correcting sentence fragments is essential for using proper grammar. By ensuring that sentences have both a subject and a predicate, and using appropriate punctuation and conjunctions, writers can avoid sentence fragments and create sentences that are clear and coherent.

Understanding Sentence Errors: Fused Sentences, Comma Splices, and Polysyndeton

Fused sentences, comma splices, and polysyndeton are common sentence errors that can affect the clarity and correctness of your writing. In this chapter, we will explore each of these errors and provide examples to help you understand and avoid them.

• Fused Sentences:

Fused sentences occur when two or more clauses are joined together without any punctuation. Instead of properly separating the clauses, they are fused into one sentence. Let's look at an example to illustrate this error:

Incorrect: I went to the store I bought groceries.

Correct: I went to the store. I bought groceries.

As you can see, the correct version separates the two clauses into two separate sentences to clarify the meaning and improve readability.

• Comma Splices:

Comma splices occur when two or more clauses are connected by only a comma, without a coordinating conjunction. Let's examine the following example to better understand this error:

Incorrect: I studied for the test, I still didn't do well.

Correct: I studied for the test, but I still didn't do well.

In the correct version, the comma is replaced with the coordinating conjunction "but" to properly connect the two clauses and create a complete sentence.

• Polysyndeton:

Polysyndeton refers to sentences that use an excessive number of conjunctions or more conjunctions than necessary. While it can be used stylistically to create a specific effect, overusing polysyndeton can make your writing excessively repetitive. Consider the following example:

Incorrect: I wanted to go to the park and play and swim and eat ice cream.

Correct: I wanted to go to the park, play, swim, and eat ice cream.

The correct version eliminates the repetition of the conjunction "and" and presents a more concise and cohesive sentence.

Understanding the differences between fused sentences, comma splices, and polysyndeton will help you identify and correct these errors in your own writing. By using appropriate punctuation and conjunctions, you can ensure that your sentences are clear, concise, and grammatically correct.

Fixing Run-on Sentences

Run-on sentences can be a common mistake in writing, but luckily there are several methods to fix them and improve the clarity of your sentences. Here are three effective ways to tackle run-on sentences:

• Divide the Clauses: One way to fix a run-on sentence is to divide the clauses into two separate sentences and use appropriate punctuation. Let's take a look at an example:

Run-on Sentence: The weather was perfect for a picnic we packed a basket and went to the park.

In this example, the two clauses "The weather was perfect for a picnic" and "we packed a basket and went to the park" are improperly connected without any punctuation. To fix this, we can divide the clauses into separate sentences:

Fixed Sentence: The weather was perfect for a picnic. We packed a basket and went to the park.

• Use a Semicolon: Another method to fix a run-on sentence is to use a semicolon to connect two clauses in the same sentence. Consider the following example:

Run-on Sentence: I love to read books I can spend hours immersed in a captivating story.

In this sentence, the two clauses "I love to read books" and "I can spend hours immersed in a captivating story" are fused together. To correct this, we can use a semicolon to separate the clauses:

Fixed Sentence: I love to read books; I can spend hours immersed in a captivating story.

• Using a Comma and a Conjunction: The third method to fix a run-on sentence is by using a comma and a conjunction to clarify the relationship between the clauses. Let's see an example:

Run-on Sentence: She went to the grocery store she forgot to buy milk.

In this sentence, the two clauses "She went to the grocery store" and "She forgot to buy milk" are improperly joined without any punctuation. To address this, we can use a comma and a coordinating conjunction:

Fixed Sentence: She went to the grocery store, but she forgot to buy milk.

By using these techniques, you can easily fix run-on sentences and enhance the flow and clarity of your writing.

Fixing Run-On Sentences with Punctuation

Run-on sentences are a common error in writing where multiple thoughts or clauses are connected without proper punctuation or conjunctions. They can make your writing confusing and difficult to read. However, fixing run-on sentences is not as complicated as it may seem. There are several techniques you can use to correct run-on sentences and make your writing clear and concise.

One way to fix a run-on sentence is by using a coordinating conjunction. These conjunctions include words like "but," "and," "or," "so," and "yet" and can help separate two thoughts or clauses. Let's take a look at an example:

• Incorrect: I went to the store I bought some groceries.
• Correct: I went to the store, and I bought some groceries.

In the example above, the coordinating conjunction "and" is used to join the two thoughts, making it clear that they are related but separate. Without the conjunction, the two thoughts would run together, resulting in a run-on sentence.

Another way to fix a run-on sentence is by using a semicolon. Semicolons can be used to separate two closely related thoughts or clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences. Here's an example:

• Incorrect: She loves reading she can spend hours with a good book.
• Correct: She loves reading; she can spend hours with a good book.

In this example, the semicolon effectively separates the two related thoughts. It indicates that they are connected, but each thought can stand on its own as a complete sentence.

Lastly, using a period to create separate sentences is another way to fix run-on sentences. By ending one thought or clause and starting a new one with a period, you can create two distinct sentences. Take a look at this example:

• Incorrect: He likes to hike he enjoys being in nature.
• Correct: He likes to hike. He enjoys being in nature.

In this case, using a period creates two separate sentences that clearly express the two thoughts. It eliminates the confusion that a run-on sentence can cause.

By utilizing these punctuation techniques, you can easily fix run-on sentences and improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.

How to Fix Run-On Sentences

Run-on sentences are a common mistake in writing that can make your writing unclear and confusing. Luckily, there are a few simple ways to fix run-on sentences and ensure that your writing is clear and concise.

There are three types of run-on sentences: fused sentences, comma splices, and polysyndetons. Fused sentences occur when two independent clauses are joined together without any punctuation or conjunction. For example:

• Fused sentence: I went to the store I bought some groceries.

Comma splices occur when two independent clauses are joined together with only a comma. For example:

• Comma splice: I went to the store, I bought some groceries.

Polysyndetons occur when multiple coordinating conjunctions are used to join clauses that could stand alone. For example:

• Polysyndeton: I went to the store and I bought some groceries and I picked up some milk.

So, how do you fix run-on sentences? The first way is by adding a semicolon between the clauses. This is called a semicolon splice. For example:

• Semicolon splice: I went to the store; I bought some groceries.

Another way to fix run-on sentences is by adding a conjunction with a comma between the clauses. This is called a coordinating conjunction. For example:

• Coordinating conjunction: I went to the store, and I bought some groceries.

If you prefer to keep the two ideas separate, you can also split the sentence into separate sentences. For example:

• Separate sentences: I went to the store. I bought some groceries.

In addition to these methods, you can also make use of writing tools like Linguix.com to assist you in identifying and fixing run-on sentences. Linguix is an online writing assistant that provides real-time grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, and conciseness checks. It offers suggestions and corrections to help you improve your writing skills and enhance the quality of your written content.

By keeping these methods in mind and utilizing the help of writing tools like Linguix, you can easily fix run-on sentences and improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.