Run-On Sentences
Playing with long sentences does not mean ignoring basic rules. - Constance Hale, Sin and Syntax
Run-On Sentences are also known as Fused sentences, a case of the "And-Thens", and a lack of punctuation.
Example of a correct sentence vs incorrect sentence:
Abraham was growing fast, shooting up like a sunflower, a spindly youngster with big boney hands, unruly black hair, a dark complexion, and luminous gray eyes.
Notice how the underlined details are separated by commas and ARE NOT complete sentences. These incomplete sentences depend on the original sentence (Abraham was growing fast.) in order to make them complete. Thus, every underlined phrase is a Dependent Clause.
Abraham was growing fast, he was shooting up and also he was a spindly youngster with big boney hands and unruly black hair, and a dark complexion, and luminous gray eyes.
There are several problems with this sentence. For one, there are three complete sentences within it:
1.) Abraham was growing fast.
2.) He was shooting up.
3.) He was a spindly youngster with big boney hands and unruly black hair, a dark complexion, and luminous gray eyes.
Simply adding a subject and verb to each of those dependent clauses has created a run-on sentence.
So, how do we prevent run-on sentences from occuring? SLOW DOWN. Students only create run-on sentences because they are excited about their writing topic, and they have a lot of details they want to talk about. A lot of details is never a bad thing, but run-on sentences are a bad thing.
Run-On Sentences are also known as Fused sentences, a case of the "And-Thens", and a lack of punctuation.
Example of a correct sentence vs incorrect sentence:
Abraham was growing fast, shooting up like a sunflower, a spindly youngster with big boney hands, unruly black hair, a dark complexion, and luminous gray eyes.
Notice how the underlined details are separated by commas and ARE NOT complete sentences. These incomplete sentences depend on the original sentence (Abraham was growing fast.) in order to make them complete. Thus, every underlined phrase is a Dependent Clause.
Abraham was growing fast, he was shooting up and also he was a spindly youngster with big boney hands and unruly black hair, and a dark complexion, and luminous gray eyes.
There are several problems with this sentence. For one, there are three complete sentences within it:
1.) Abraham was growing fast.
2.) He was shooting up.
3.) He was a spindly youngster with big boney hands and unruly black hair, a dark complexion, and luminous gray eyes.
Simply adding a subject and verb to each of those dependent clauses has created a run-on sentence.
So, how do we prevent run-on sentences from occuring? SLOW DOWN. Students only create run-on sentences because they are excited about their writing topic, and they have a lot of details they want to talk about. A lot of details is never a bad thing, but run-on sentences are a bad thing.