Run-on Sentences
Objectives
You will learn to recognize a run-on sentence.
 You will be able to apply any of three techniques
to correctly fix a run-on sentence.


Language Arts 9th Grade Standard 9 Objective 2:
– Identify and correct errors in usage, e.g., incorrectly
combined sentences, misplaced modifiers, run-on
sentences, unnecessary fragments, incorrect use of
adverbs, incorrect pronoun antecedent, incorrect use
of present and past tenses.
Anticipatory Set
In my hands money doesn’t last long my aunt sent me ten
dollars it was a birthday present. I held onto the money for
about ten minutes, my brother demanded repayment I had
borrowed two dollars from him a week before. Marcia and
Jennie are me best friends they had treated me to lunch a long
time ago they suddenly suggested that I return the favor and I
did get to buy something I wanted with my money there is this
comic book that I’ve wanted for a long time and I was able to
buy it with the last of my birthday money. My mother’s birthday
is next week, I am almost broke, maybe I can make her a cake
or something else that doesn’t cost any money maybe I can
earn some money and then I can buy her something nice I
would really like to buy her something nice since she’s my
mother and I really love her.
Review: What is a sentence?

Remember that a complete sentence
must have these things:
– A subject (noun)
– A predicate (verb)
– A complete idea

A sentence that doesn’t have all of
these things is considered a fragment.
So, what’s a run-on?
A run-on sentence occurs when we try and
combine more than one subject-predicate
(noun-verb) pair in one sentence incorrectly.
 It’s important to understand that a sentence can
definitely have more than one subject-predicate
pair (in fact, your writing sounds much more
intelligent if you have sentences like this).
 The problem comes when we combine subjectpredicate pairs incorrectly.

Give me some examples
Eric is a bodybuilder he eats only large amounts of meat.
subject-verb
pair
subject-verb
pair
This sentence is a run-on sentence because the
two subject-verb pairs (sentences, if you will)
are combined incorrectly. They are run together,
without any proper punctuation or grammar.
Practice

Which of the following sentences would
be considered run-on?
– His father was an artist his mother was an
accountant.
– The farmer was riding his tractor through
the fields.
– We always had bonfires grandma loved
having all the family over to talk about past
times.
How do I fix run-ons?

Make two sentences out of the run-on
sentence:
– Eric is a bodybuilder he eats only large
amounts of meat.
– Eric is a bodybuilder. He eats only large
amounts of meat.

This is the easiest way to fix the problem,
but also results in choppy writing.
How do I fix run-ons?

Combine the two subject-verb pairs with a
comma and a conjunction (and, or, but,
yet, for, nor):
– His father was an artist his mother was an
accountant.
– His father was an artist, but his mother was
an accountant.

Don’t put “naked” commas in your run-on
sentences (without conjunctions).
Did you say “naked”?

Yup. If you just stick a comma in the middle of a
run-on sentence, you haven’t fixed anything. In
fact, you’ve created a “comma splice” (which is a
no-no).
– Eric is a bodybuilder he eats only large amounts of
meat.
– Eric is a bodybuilder, he eats only large amounts of
meat.

A comma splice is just another term for a run-on
sentence and you are to avoid them!
One last way to fix run-ons

Combine the sentences with a semicolon:
– He had never seen Alex so prepared he even
had backup copies of his study sheets!
– He had never seen Alex so prepared; he even
had backup copies of his study sheets!

This is a great way to fix a run-on,
because semicolons look sophisticated.
You can only use them on subject-verb
pairs that are closely related, though.
Not just for run-ons!
The best way to fix run-ons in your writing is to
use a combination of all three techniques.
 In fact, you can even use these techniques to fix
short, choppy sentences:

– He ran to the store. He bought bread, milk, and eggs.
– He ran to the store; there he bought bread, milk, and
eggs.
– He ran to the store and bought bread, milk, and eggs.
A bit o’ practice
On Saturdays I help around the house I
also help around the yard.
 On Saturdays I help around the house,
and I also help around the yard.
 On Saturdays I help around the house; I
also help around the yard.
 On Saturdays I help around the house and
around the yard.

More practice
Last year we spent our vacation in Pennsylvania
this summer we plan to drive through the
Southwest.
 Last year we spent our vacation in Pennsylvania,
but this summer we plan to drive through the
Southwest.
 Last year we spent our vacation in Pennsylvania;
this summer we plan to drive through the
Southwest.
 Last year we spent our vacation in Pennsylvania.
This summer we plan to drive through the
Southwest.

What have we learned?
A run-on sentence is a sentence with more
than one subject-verb pair, punctuated
incorrectly.
 There are many ways to fix a run-one
sentence:

– Make separate sentences
– Join the subject-verb pieces with a
conjunction (and, but, for) and a comma
– Join the subject-verb pieces with a semicolon
Independent Practice
Switch drafts with someone.
 Using a highlighter, highlight run-on
sentences in the other person’s draft.
 When you receive your draft back, fix any
run-on problems.
 If you don’t have run-on problems, then
look for places where you can combine
short sentences into a longer, more
complex sentence.
