Run-on sentences

Run-on sentences

WHAT IS A RUN-ON SENTENCE?

Run-on sentences are two or more sentences that are incorrectly written as one sentence.

They are usually joined by incorrect punctuation.

An example:

The birds flew east the deer ran south

That sentence was made up of two independent clauses:

• 
  

  The birds flew east.

• The deer ran south.

  
  

So we need to add punctuation and a conjunction (or word that connects clauses).

The birds flew east, and the deer ran south.

Time to practice

Choose the correct answer to edit these run-on sentences.

Multiple Choice

Bob played the guitar Suzy played the piano.

Which choice below uses the correct punctuation and conjunction to fix the run-on sentence?

• Bob played the guitar, and Suzy played the piano

• Bob played the guitar and Suzy, played the piano

• Bob played the guitar and Suzy played the piano

Multiple Choice

Which of the following choices doesn't make sense when combining the two clauses?

• The birds flew east, and the deer ran south.

• The birds flew east, neither the deer ran south.

• The birds flew east, but the deer ran south.

• The birds flew east, however the deer ran south.

Open Ended

The city is being destroyed by a huge fire, residents must run for their lives.

Open Ended

She has to live with her mother, she'd rather live with her father.