{"id":832,"date":"2016-07-15T23:03:41","date_gmt":"2016-07-15T23:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/waymaker-level3-english\/?post_type=chapter&p=832"},"modified":"2018-08-21T20:50:09","modified_gmt":"2018-08-21T20:50:09","slug":"text-run-on-sentences","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-englishcomposition1-2\/chapter\/text-run-on-sentences\/","title":{"raw":"Run-on Sentences","rendered":"Run-on Sentences"},"content":{"raw":"Run-on<\/em> sentences occur when\u00a0two or more complete sentences (two or more units of subject-verb-words to complete the thought)\u00a0are incorrectly joined. Note that if the two sentences are inappropriately joined with only a comma, the error is also called a comma splice<\/em>.\r\n\r\n\"decorative\r\n\r\nExamples: each full sentence is indicated in a different color and enclosed in brackets<\/em>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • [Choosing a topic for a paper can be the hardest part]\u00a0<\/span>but [it gets a lot easier after that]<\/span>.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • [Sometimes, books do not have the most\u00a0up-to-date information]<\/span>, [it is a good idea then to look for articles in specialized periodicals]<\/span>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThere are three possible, correct ways to deal with two complete sentences that you may want to link together:\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. add a comma + a linking word that indicates the idea relationship\u00a0between the sentences\u00a0(e.g., \"and,\" \"but,\" \"or,\" etc.)<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. add a semi-colon between the end of the first sentence and the start of the second sentence<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. decide not to join the sentences, and separate them into two distinct sentences<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThe sentences in the example above are run-on sentences because they don't have adequate linkage. They\u00a0may be corrected in the following ways:\r\n\r\nSentence 1<\/em>\r\n
        \r\n \t
      • Choosing a topic for a paper can be\u00a0the hardest part, but it gets a lot easier after that. [add a comma\u00a0before the\u00a0linking word, as you need both the comma and the linking word]<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Choosing a topic for a paper can be the hardest part; it gets a lot easier after that. [semi-colon\u00a0linking the sentences]<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Choosing a topic for a paper can be the hardest part.\u00a0 It gets a lot easier after that. [two separate, complete sentences]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSentence 2<\/em>\r\n
          \r\n \t
        • Sometimes, books do not have the most\u00a0up-to-date information, so it is a good idea\u00a0then to look for articles in specialized periodicals. [add a linking word to the comma]<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Sometimes, books do not have the most\u00a0up-to-date information; it is a good idea\u00a0then to look for articles in specialized periodicals. [semi-colon linking the sentences]<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Sometimes, books do not have the most\u00a0up-to-date information.\u00a0 It is a good idea\u00a0then to look for articles in specialized periodicals. [two separate, complete sentences]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n
          \r\n\r\nNote:<\/strong>\u00a0A\u00a0run-on sentence\u00a0is not<\/em>\u00a0merely a sentence that just goes on and on. A run-on sentence is a sentence that is not\u00a0correctly punctuated. Not every long sentence is a run-on sentence. For example, look at this quote from\u00a0The Great Gastby<\/em>:\r\n

          Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby\u2019s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.<\/p>\r\nIf you look at the punctuation, you'll see that this quote is a single sentence.\u00a0F. Scott\u00a0Fitzgerald used commas and semicolons is such a way that, despite its great length,\u00a0the sentence is\u00a0grammatically sound. Length is no guarantee of a run-on sentence.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

          Common Causes of\u00a0Run-Ons<\/h3>\r\nWe often write run-on sentences because we sense that the sentences involved are closely related and dividing them with a period just doesn't seem needed. We may also write them because the parts seem too short to need any special punctuation,\u00a0as in \"She loves skiing but he doesn't.\" However, \"She loves skiing\" and \"he doesn't\" are both complete sentences, so they need to be\u00a0linked by a both comma and a linking word, and not just a linking word by itself in this case.\r\n

          Special Cases with Linking Words<\/h3>\r\nSome linking words present special cases:\u00a0 however, therefore, furthermore, additionally.\r\n\r\nWhen you use these words in a sentence, you usually use a comma after<\/em> them, e.g.:\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • However, we decided to follow the GPS instead of his directions, and we did end up getting lost.<\/li>\r\n \t
          • Additionally, I like plums, mangoes, and bananas.<\/li>\r\n \t
          • Therefore, we concluded that eating at fancy restaurants was not feasible with\u00a0our budget.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWhen you use these linking words to start the second<\/em> sentence of two linked sentences, you need to use a semi-colon or a period to link the two complete sentences, e.g.:\r\n
              \r\n \t
            • We asked a farmer at the farm stand how to get to our B&B; however, we decided to follow the GPS instead of his directions, and we did end up getting lost.<\/li>\r\n \t
            • I like oranges and apples; additionally, I like plums, mangoes, and bananas.<\/li>\r\n \t
            • Our dinner out last night ended up costing almost ninety-four dollars; therefore, we concluded that eating at fancy restaurants was not feasible within our budget.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/-vck6uK-kow[\/embed]\r\n
              \r\n

              Practice<\/h3>\r\nIdentify the run-on sentences in the following paragraph. Type a corrected version of the paragraph in the text frame below:\r\n

              I had the craziest dream the other night. My cousin Jacob and I were on the run from the law. Apparently we were wizards\u00a0and the law was cracking down on magic. So, we obviously had to go into hiding but I lost track of Jacob and then I got picked up by a cop. But I was able to convince him that the government was corrupt and that he should take me to my escape boat.<\/p>\r\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"877848\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"877848\"]The first two sentences are\u00a0grammatically sound. The next sentence, however, is not.\r\n

              Apparently we were wizards\u00a0and the law was cracking down on magic.<\/p>\r\nThis sentence just needs a comma inserted before the word and<\/em>:\u00a0Apparently we were wizards,<\/strong> and the law was cracking down on magic.\r\n\r\nLet's look at the next sentence:\r\n

              So, we obviously had to go into hiding but I lost track of Jacob and then I got picked up by a cop.<\/p>\r\nThis is also a run-on sentence. While So<\/em> at the beginning of the sentence is technically fine, it's unnecessary,\u00a0and many teachers dislike it as a transition word. There are three clauses in this run-on sentence, so there are a few different ways you could rework it:\r\n

                \r\n \t
              • We obviously had to go into hiding,<\/strong> but I lost track of Jacob. After that,\u00a0I got picked up by a cop.<\/li>\r\n \t
              • We obviously had to go into hiding. Unfortunately,\u00a0I had lost track of Jacob and had gotten picked up by a cop.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nLet's look at the final sentence:\r\n

                But I was able to convince him that the government was corrupt and that he should take me to my escape boat.<\/p>\r\nThis sentence is technically okay, but the\u00a0but<\/em> at the start of the sentence is unnecessary, and it could be removed without affecting\u00a0the meaning of the sentence. Additionally, it may be helpful to clarify who\u00a0he<\/em> is:\r\n

                I was able to convince the cop that the government was corrupt and that he should take me to my escape boat.<\/p>\r\n[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

                Run-on<\/em> sentences occur when\u00a0two or more complete sentences (two or more units of subject-verb-words to complete the thought)\u00a0are incorrectly joined. Note that if the two sentences are inappropriately joined with only a comma, the error is also called a comma splice<\/em>.<\/p>\n

                \"decorative<\/p>\n

                Examples: each full sentence is indicated in a different color and enclosed in brackets<\/em><\/p>\n

                  \n
                • [Choosing a topic for a paper can be the hardest part]\u00a0<\/span>but [it gets a lot easier after that]<\/span>.<\/li>\n
                • [Sometimes, books do not have the most\u00a0up-to-date information]<\/span>, [it is a good idea then to look for articles in specialized periodicals]<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  There are three possible, correct ways to deal with two complete sentences that you may want to link together:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. add a comma + a linking word that indicates the idea relationship\u00a0between the sentences\u00a0(e.g., “and,” “but,” “or,” etc.)<\/li>\n
                  2. add a semi-colon between the end of the first sentence and the start of the second sentence<\/li>\n
                  3. decide not to join the sentences, and separate them into two distinct sentences<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    The sentences in the example above are run-on sentences because they don’t have adequate linkage. They\u00a0may be corrected in the following ways:<\/p>\n

                    Sentence 1<\/em><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • Choosing a topic for a paper can be\u00a0the hardest part, but it gets a lot easier after that. [add a comma\u00a0before the\u00a0linking word, as you need both the comma and the linking word]<\/li>\n
                    • Choosing a topic for a paper can be the hardest part; it gets a lot easier after that. [semi-colon\u00a0linking the sentences]<\/li>\n
                    • Choosing a topic for a paper can be the hardest part.\u00a0 It gets a lot easier after that. [two separate, complete sentences]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Sentence 2<\/em><\/p>\n

                        \n
                      • Sometimes, books do not have the most\u00a0up-to-date information, so it is a good idea\u00a0then to look for articles in specialized periodicals. [add a linking word to the comma]<\/li>\n
                      • Sometimes, books do not have the most\u00a0up-to-date information; it is a good idea\u00a0then to look for articles in specialized periodicals. [semi-colon linking the sentences]<\/li>\n
                      • Sometimes, books do not have the most\u00a0up-to-date information.\u00a0 It is a good idea\u00a0then to look for articles in specialized periodicals. [two separate, complete sentences]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                         <\/p>\n

                        \n

                        Note:<\/strong>\u00a0A\u00a0run-on sentence\u00a0is not<\/em>\u00a0merely a sentence that just goes on and on. A run-on sentence is a sentence that is not\u00a0correctly punctuated. Not every long sentence is a run-on sentence. For example, look at this quote from\u00a0The Great Gastby<\/em>:<\/p>\n

                        Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby\u2019s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.<\/p>\n

                        If you look at the punctuation, you’ll see that this quote is a single sentence.\u00a0F. Scott\u00a0Fitzgerald used commas and semicolons is such a way that, despite its great length,\u00a0the sentence is\u00a0grammatically sound. Length is no guarantee of a run-on sentence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

                        Common Causes of\u00a0Run-Ons<\/h3>\n

                        We often write run-on sentences because we sense that the sentences involved are closely related and dividing them with a period just doesn’t seem needed. We may also write them because the parts seem too short to need any special punctuation,\u00a0as in “She loves skiing but he doesn’t.” However, “She loves skiing” and “he doesn’t” are both complete sentences, so they need to be\u00a0linked by a both comma and a linking word, and not just a linking word by itself in this case.<\/p>\n

                        Special Cases with Linking Words<\/h3>\n

                        Some linking words present special cases:\u00a0 however, therefore, furthermore, additionally.<\/p>\n

                        When you use these words in a sentence, you usually use a comma after<\/em> them, e.g.:<\/p>\n

                          \n
                        • However, we decided to follow the GPS instead of his directions, and we did end up getting lost.<\/li>\n
                        • Additionally, I like plums, mangoes, and bananas.<\/li>\n
                        • Therefore, we concluded that eating at fancy restaurants was not feasible with\u00a0our budget.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                          When you use these linking words to start the second<\/em> sentence of two linked sentences, you need to use a semi-colon or a period to link the two complete sentences, e.g.:<\/p>\n

                            \n
                          • We asked a farmer at the farm stand how to get to our B&B; however, we decided to follow the GPS instead of his directions, and we did end up getting lost.<\/li>\n
                          • I like oranges and apples; additionally, I like plums, mangoes, and bananas.<\/li>\n
                          • Our dinner out last night ended up costing almost ninety-four dollars; therefore, we concluded that eating at fancy restaurants was not feasible within our budget.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n