It
is important to realize that the length of a sentence really has nothing to do
with whether a sentence is a run-on or not; being a run-on is a structural flaw
that can plague even a very short sentence:
The sun is high, put on some sun block.
An
extremely long sentence, on the other hand, might be a
"run-off-at-the-mouth" sentence, but it can be otherwise sound,
structurally.
Here's a sample of a good 239-word sentence. It's not the kind of thing
you'd want to read very often, but it does work. Remember, this is not a run-on
sentence.
Knowing that millions of
people around the world would be watching in person and on television and
expecting great things from him — at least one more gold medal for America, if
not another world record — during this, his fourth and surely his last
appearance in the World Olympics, and realizing that his legs could no longer
carry him down the runway with the same blazing speed and confidence in making
a huge, eye-popping leap that they were capable of a few years ago when he set
world records in the 100-meter dash and in the 400-meter relay and won a silver
medal in the long jump, the renowned sprinter and track-and-field personality
Carl Lewis, who had known pressure from fans and media before but never, even
as a professional runner, this kind of pressure, made only a few appearances in
races during the few months before the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia,
partly because he was afraid of raising expectations even higher and he did not
want to be distracted by interviews and adoring fans who would follow him into
stores and restaurants demanding autographs and photo-opportunities, but mostly
because he wanted to conserve his energies and concentrate, like a martial arts
expert, on the job at hand: winning his favorite competition, the long jump,
and bringing home another Gold Medal for the United States, the most fitting
conclusion to his brilliant career in track and field.
(1) A Fused Sentence has at least two parts,
either one of which can stand by itself (in other words, two independent
clauses), but the two parts have been smooshed together instead of being
properly connected.
ex: My cat likes to play with bubbles I bought some for
him.
A correction: My cat likes to play with bubbles, so I
bought some for him.
(2) When
two independent clauses are connected by only a comma, they constitute a
run-on sentence that is called a comma-splice. The example just above
(about the sunscreen) is a comma-splice. When you use a comma to connect two
independent clauses, it must be accompanied by a little conjunction (and,
but, for, nor, yet, or, so).
ex: The sun is high
put on some sun block.
A correction: The sun is high, so put on some sun
block.
Run-on
sentences happen typically under the following circumstances*:
a.
When an
independent clause gives an order or directive based on what was said in the
prior independent clause:
This next chapter has a lot of difficult information
in it, you should start studying right away.
(We could put a period where that comma is and start
a new sentence. A semicolon might also work there.)
b.
When two
independent clauses are connected by a transitional expression (conjunctive
adverb) such as however, moreover, nevertheless.
Mr. Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges, however, he has sacrificed his health working day
and night in that dusty bakery.
(Again, where that first comma appears, we could have
used either a period — and started a new sentence — or a semicolon.)
c.
When the
second of two independent clauses contains a pronoun that connects it to the
first independent clause.
This computer doesn't make sense to me, it came
without a manual.
(Although these two clauses are quite brief, and the
ideas are closely related, this is a run-on sentence. We need a period where
that comma now stands.)
Most of those computers in the
Again, two nicely related clauses, incorrectly
connected — a run-on. Use a period to cure this sentence.
*This list of
situations in which run- on sentences are apt to happen can be found in Sentence
Sense: A Writer's Guide by Evelyn Farbman. Houghton Mifflin, 1989.Examples
our own. This information is from http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/runons.htm.
Brought to you by
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_sentpr.html
The above (Run-ons, Comma
Splices, and Fused Sentences) are all names given to compound sentences that
are not punctuated correctly. The best way to avoid such errors is to punctuate
compound sentences correctly by using one or the other of these rules.
1. Join the two independent clauses with one of the
coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet), and use a comma
before the connecting word.
_________________________, and _________________________.
(He enjoys walking through
the country, and he often goes backpacking on his vacations.)
2. When you do not have a
connecting word (or when you use a connecting word other than and, but, for, or
nor, so, or yet between the two independent clauses) use a semicolon (;).
__________________________;_____________________________.
(He often watched TV when
there were only reruns; she preferred to read instead.)
or
__________________________;
however,____________________.
(He often watched TV when
there were only reruns; however, she preferred to read instead.)
So, run-ons and fused
sentences are terms describing two independent clauses which are joined
together with no connecting word or punctuation to separate the clauses.
Incorrect: They weren't dangerous criminals
they were detectives in disguise.
Correct: They weren't dangerous criminals; they were
detectives in disguise.
Incorrect: I didn't know which job I wanted I
was too confused to decide.
Correct: I didn't know which job I wanted, so I was too
confused to decide.