Are you wondering what run-on sentences and comma splices are? Read on to find out what they look like and how the two grammar mistakes are related.
“The other day, I went to the store and grabbed some fruits they were delicious.”
As you were reading that sentence above, did you notice anything wrong with it? Did it sound off? Was it slightly difficult to read?
I hope it was.
The reason why is because it is committing a severe grammar crime. So severe, in fact, that that sentence should be locked up and rehabilitated until it is readable.
The crime that it committed, if you’re wondering, is called a “run-on sentence.”
What are run-on sentences?
Run-on sentences are sentences that are not connected correctly. The majority of the time, they are two (or more) separate sentences that aren’t connected properly with a conjunction or punctuation mark.
For example, the sentence above can be broken into two sentences or two independent clauses.
- The other day, I went to the store and grabbed some fruits.
- They were delicious.
Now, there are three ways to fix a run-on sentence. You can:
- Create two sentences by adding a period to the end of the first clause (or sentence)
- Add a conjunction word and connect the two clauses properly
- Use a semi-colon to connect the two clauses
Here’s what each, respectively, would look like:
- The other day, I went to the store and grabbed some fruits. They were delicious.
- The other day, I went to the store and grabbed some fruits and they were delicious.
- The other day, I went to the store and grabbed some fruits; they were delicious.
What is a comma splice?
Additionally, you cannot use a comma to connect and fix a run-on. By doing so, you’ll just be committing another grammar crime -comma splice.
I had to learn this the hard way.
It was the first day of college and I had an English class. The professor had us do a writing prompt to see where our writing level was at.
After I finished my essay, I felt confident that I did well. I explained everything clearly and gave numerous examples to back up my argument.
However, my professor did not feel the same way.
When I received my essay back, it was filled with red lines (straight ones and squiggly ones). Things were crossed out and underlined, and there were comments all over.
And two of the errors that I committed the most were run-ons and comma splices.
I also spelled some words incorrectly and had a couple of sentence fragments, but that’s a story for another day.
Anywhoo, what I’m trying to get at is that these two English grammar mistakes are pretty common. Many students get them wrong on a regular basis.
But the good news is that these are really easy to fix (as you can see from the examples above). You just have to pay attention when you’re proofreading your work to find them.
Okay, so do you understand what run-ons are and how to fix them?
Awesome!
Practice Questions
Now you get to test out your knowledge by doing the following questions. All you have to do is spot the run-on sentence and fix it via one of the methods shared above:
- The movie last night was amazing! I might have to go watch it again.
- The book store had so many deals on classic novels that I had to buy more than one.
- I was in class the other day and this guy snored loudly I was irritated.
Which one is the run-on sentence? And how would you fix it?
If you want more practice questions, you can check out my grammar workbooks at my online store here.
Final Thoughts
Run-on sentences and comma splices are common writing mistakes that many students and writers make.
They’re big mistakes that will affect your writing, but luckily, they’re easy to fix. There are also many ways to fix them.
The hard part is you have to be able to recognize them in your writing and decide which repair method should be used.
However, there are many ways -such as using a workbook- to learn what they are, what they look like, and which method to use.
So, grab one and start improving your writing.
P.S.
The run-on sentence for the questions above is number 3.