CapitalCommunityCollege

Avoiding Run-on Sentences

Thelengthofasentencehasnothingtodowithwhetheror
notasentenceisconsideredarunon.Anoverexuberant,
runoffatthemouth,400wordgorillaofasentencecan
bestructurallyfine.Arunonsentenceisoneinwhichtwo
clauseshavebeenconnectedincorrectly.(Ifyoudlike,
clickonthewordclausestoreviewthatconcept.)

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Avoiding Run-on Sentences

Letsthinkofanindependentclauseasanindependently
operatedtrainheadedwest...

gettingconnectedtoanothertrainheadedeast.
Nothingbutgriefwillresultfromcouplingthese
trainclausesincorrectly!Forexample....
Somestudentsthinktheycanstudyforanimportant

exambycrammingallnight,theyareprobablywrong.
CapitalCommunityCollege

Avoiding Run-on Sentences

Somestudentsthinktheycanstudyforanimportantexamby
crammingallnight,theyareprobablywrong.

This is an example of the dreaded COMMA

SPLICE!
Acommaspliceconnectstwoindependentclauseswith
onlyacomma.
Thereareseveralwaystofixa
commasplice....

CapitalCommunityCollege

Avoiding Run-on Sentences

1.Wecaninsertaperiodandstartanewsentence.
Somestudentsthinktheycanstudyforanimportantexamby
crammingallnight.Theyareprobablywrong.

2.Wecaninsertacommaplusacoordinatingconjunction.
Somestudentsthinktheycanstudyforanimportantexamby
crammingallnight,buttheyareprobablywrong.
3.Wecanuseasemicolon.
Somestudentsthinktheycanstudyforanimportant

exambycrammingallnight;theyareprobablywrong.
CapitalCommunityCollege

Avoiding Run-on Sentences

Therearethreesituationsinwhichrunonsentencesare
apttohappen:
1.Whenapronouninthesecondclause refers to a noun
in the first clause: The Presidents popularity has
plummeted, she apparently underestimated the opposition.
2.Whenasuggestionordirectiveoccursinthesecond
clause:Youwillberesponsibleforthismaterialonthefinal
exam,studyitthoroughlynow.
3.Whentwoclausesareconnectedbyatransitional
expression:Manypeoplethinkprotectionismcanhaltrising
prices,however,theoppositeisactuallytrue.
CapitalCommunityCollege

Avoiding Run-on Sentences

1.The Presidents popularity has plummeted, and she
apparently underestimated the opposition.
2.Youwillberesponsibleforthismaterialonthefinal
exam.Studyitthoroughlynow.
3.Manypeoplethinkprotectionismcanhaltrisingprices;
however,theoppositeisactuallytrue.

CapitalCommunityCollege

Avoiding Run-on Sentences

Nowyoullneveragainwritearun
onsentence!

CapitalCommunityCollege

This PowerPoint presentation was created by

Charles Darling, PhD
Professor of English and Webmaster
Capital Community College
Hartford, Connecticut
copyright November 1999

CapitalCommunityCollege