{"id":212,"date":"2016-08-08T20:00:19","date_gmt":"2016-08-08T20:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/styleguide\/?post_type=chapter&p=212"},"modified":"2023-07-31T18:42:12","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T18:42:12","slug":"text-run-on-sentences","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-guidetowriting\/chapter\/text-run-on-sentences\/","title":{"raw":"Run-On Sentences","rendered":"Run-On Sentences"},"content":{"raw":"A\u00a0run-on<\/i> sentence consists of two or more grammatical sentences not separated by either a coordinating conjunction (for,\u00a0<\/em>and,\u00a0<\/em>nor, but,\u00a0<\/em>or, yet, so\u2014a.k.a. FANBOYS<\/em>) or any mark of punctuation this sentence is itself a run-on sentence. To put that definition another way, run-on sentences occur when\u00a0two or more independent clauses\u00a0are improperly joined. The most infamous form of the\u00a0run-on sentence is the comma splice<\/i>, in which two independent clauses\u00a0are joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction.\r\n\r\nLet's look at two examples of run-on sentences. The second one is a comma splice:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • Often,\u00a0choosing a topic for a paper is the hardest part\u00a0it's a lot easier after that.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Books do not always have the most complete information, it is a good idea then to look for articles in specialized periodicals.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nBoth of these sentences have two independent clauses. Each clause should be separated from another with a period, a semicolon, a colon, or a comma and<\/em> a coordinating conjunction:\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Often,\u00a0choosing a topic for a paper is the hardest part. It's a lot easier after that.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • OR:\u00a0Often,\u00a0choosing a topic for a paper is the hardest part; it's a lot easier after that.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Books do not always have the most complete information; it is a good idea then to look for articles in specialized periodicals.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • OR:\u00a0Books do not always have the most complete information. It is a good idea then to look for articles in specialized periodicals.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • OR:\u00a0Books do not always have the most complete information, so it is a good idea then to look for articles in specialized periodicals. [This is the \"comma and<\/em> a coordinating conjunction\" solution: so<\/em> is one of the FANBOYS.]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nNotice that a run-on sentence can usually be resolved by more than one method.\r\n
      \r\n\r\nNote:<\/strong> Don't define a run-on sentence as a sentence that goes on and on. A run-on sentence might be lengthy, but its defining feature is incorrect punctuation, not length.\u00a0For example, look at this quotation from\u00a0The Great Gatsby<\/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\u2019ll see that this quotation is a single sentence, but F. Scott\u00a0Fitzgerald manages commas and semicolons in such a way that, despite its considerable length, the sentence is grammatically sound. Length is no guarantee of a run-on sentence.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

      Common Causes of\u00a0Run-Ons<\/h2>\r\nAs the Fitzgerald example above demonstrates, length is no guarantee of a run-on sentence. The confusion between lengthy and run-on sentences arises perhaps because English speakers know an independent clause when they read it, even if they don't know its technical name. We pause at the end of independent clauses, recognizing that the grammatical unit of the sentence has come to its end. When another independent clause then follows, without the pause marked by punctuation, it feels as if we have to kick our minds back into gear too quickly, or as if we are being dragged forward unwillingly. That experience makes even a relatively short run-on sentence feel long to us, as in this example: \"Jonathan Swift's last years were unhappy he suffered from M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease.\"\r\n\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 right. We may also write them because the parts seem too short to need any division, like in \"Swift loved Esther Johnson but he probably did not marry her.\" However, \"Swift loved Esther Johnson\" and \"he probably did not marry her\" are both independent clauses, so they need to be divided by a comma and<\/em> a coordinating conjunction\u2014not just a coordinating conjunction by itself; i.e.\u00a0\"Swift loved Esther Johnson, but he probably did not marry her.\"\r\n\r\nAnother common cause of run-on sentences is mistaking\u00a0adverbial conjunctions (some common examples are\u00a0however, moreover, therefore, thus, consequently, furthermore, unfortunately)\u00a0<\/em>for\u00a0coordinating conjunctions (the FANBOYS words). For example if we were to write, \"Swift loved Esther Johnson, however he\u00a0probably did not marry her,\" we would have produced a comma splice. The correct sentence would read, \"Swift loved Esther Johnson; however, he probably did not marry her.\" It is unlikely that you would write a five-page college-level essay without using an adverbial conjunction; this pattern, where an adverbial conjunction is preceded by a semi-colon and followed by a comma, is fundamental to complicating a thought, so it should appear in your writing, and you should punctuate it correctly. (Fun fact: adverbial conjunctions are also known as conjunctive adverbs<\/em>. Regardless of the terminology, punctuate them correctly when you write them.)\r\n

      Fixing\u00a0Run-On Sentences<\/h2>\r\nBefore you can fix a run-on sentence, you'll need to identify the problem. You can often trust your own sense that a sentence is dragging; that sense frequently arises when a sentence is run-on rather than lengthy (think back to F. Scott Fitzgerald's sentence or to the Gary Provost quotation that opens this module; long sentences can be highly effective, but you have to be in control of them). Be alert to adverbial conjunctions and to coordinating conjunctions; you can use your word-processing program's \"find\" feature to locate common ones like \"however\" or \"therefore\" or \"so,\" and then check the punctuation. That proofreading might sound onerous, but you won't have to do it often before you learn to think about those parts of speech while you're drafting; soon after that, you'll become competent automatically. And, of course, you don't need to wait until you've written fifteen pages before you start to check; take a look at your first couple of pages slowly and carefully to kickstart the editing process. If trusting your own feel for English and trouble-shooting obvious words still leave you with some dubious sentences, you can isolate them and ask whether the parts are independent\u00a0clauses. Remember, only independent clauses can stand on their own. This also means they must<\/em> stand on their own; they can't run together without correct punctuation. (Yes, this paragraph makes deliberately heavy use of semi-colons to prevent run-ons\u2014we're glad you noticed!)\r\n\r\nLet's take a look at a few more run-on sentences and their revisions:\r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. Some of the hours I've earned toward my associate's degree do not transfer, however, I do have many general education credits the university will accept.<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Some respondents were highly educated professionals, others were from small villages in underdeveloped countries.<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. The opposite is true of stronger types of stainless steel they tend to be more susceptible to rust.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThe first sentence is a comma-splice sentence. The\u00a0adverbial conjunction\u00a0however<\/em> is being treated like a coordinating conjunction. There are two easy fixes to this problem. The first is to turn the comma before\u00a0however<\/em> into a period. If this feels like too\u00a0hard of a stop between ideas, you can change the comma into a semicolon instead.\r\n
          \r\n \t
        • Some of the hours I've earned toward my associate's degree do not transfer. However, I do have many general education credits the university will accept.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Some of the hours I've earned toward my associate's degree do not transfer; however, I do have many general education credits the university will accept.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn the second example, we again have two independent clauses. The two clauses provide contrasting information. Adding a conjunction could help the reader move from one kind of information to another. However, you may want that sharp contrast. Here are two\u00a0revision options:\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • Some respondents were highly educated professionals, while others were from small villages in underdeveloped countries.<\/li>\r\n \t
          • Some respondents were highly educated professionals. Others were from small villages in underdeveloped countries.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe third sentence is a run-on as well. \"The opposite is true of stronger types of stainless steel\" and \"they tend to be more susceptible to rust\" are both independent clauses. The two clauses\u00a0are very closely related because the second clarifies the information provided in the first. The best solution is to insert a colon between the two clauses:\r\n

            The opposite is true of stronger types of stainless steel: they tend to be more susceptible to rust.<\/p>\r\nWhen you are punctuating independent clauses, the difference between a semi-colon and a colon can be subtle, and is not necessarily subject to hard-and-fast rules. Both colons and semi-colons connect independent clauses when the clauses contain closely related material, but we prefer the colon when the second independent clause amplifies, explains, or summarizes the information in the first independent clause. In the example above, the second clause explains what \"the opposite\" refers to in the first clause.\r\n

            \r\n

            Practice<\/h3>\r\nIdentify the run-on sentences in the following paragraph:\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. We obviously had to go into hiding but I lost track of Jacob and then I got picked up by a cop. He was scary, he had fangs. However I was able to convince him that the government was corrupt and that he should take me to my escape boat.<\/p>\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 needs a comma inserted before the word and <\/em>because the coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses:\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

            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. There are three independent clauses in this run-on sentence, so there are multiple ways you could rework it:\r\n

              \r\n \t
            • We obviously had to go into hiding, but I lost track of Jacob, and then I got picked up by a cop.<\/li>\r\n \t
            • We obviously had to go into hiding,<\/strong> but I lost track of Jacob. Then I got picked up by a cop.<\/li>\r\n \t
            • We obviously had to go into hiding; however,\u00a0I lost track of Jacob, and then I got picked up by a cop.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe next sentence is a comma splice:\r\n
                \r\n \t
              • He was scary, he had fangs.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nA semi-colon or colon would work here:\r\n