Run-Ons

A sentence is also called an independent clause, a group of words with a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought. Sometimes, two independent clauses can be joined correctly in one sentence.

SENTENCES WITH TWO INDEPENDENT CLAUSES

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A run-on is two complete sentences (independent clauses) that are joined incorrectly and written as one sentence. There are two kinds of run-ons — fused sentences and comma splices.

A fused sentence is two complete sentences joined without any punctuation.

FUSED SENTENCE image

A comma splice is two complete sentences joined by only a comma instead of a comma and one of these words: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet.

COMMA SPLICE image

These words are known as coordinating conjunctions. They are discussed in “Add a Comma and a Coordinating Conjunction.”

When you find a run-on in your writing, you can correct it in one of three ways.

WAYS TO CORRECT A RUN-ON