A run-on sentence consists of two independent clauses connected improperly with no punctuation or unconventional punctuation. Independent clauses can stand alone as simple sentences containing a subject and predicate. There are several ways to correct run-on sentences, including separating the clauses into separate sentences, joining them with a semicolon or colon, using a comma and coordinating conjunction, making one clause dependent, or restructuring the clauses into one sentence.

2. What is a run-on sentence?

3. A run-on sentence is…
a sentence that consists of
two independent clauses
that are connected
with punctuation that is unconventional
or with no punctuation between them.

4. What is an
independent clause?

5. An independent clause is one
that…
stands by itself as a simple, complete sentence.
contains a subject
contains a predicate (verb)

6. EXAMPLES OF INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
John walks.
Cats and dogs sleep a lot.
The room was huge and airy.
The presidential elections caused much consternation for
voters this year.

7. Types of run-on sentences

8. FUSED
There is NO punctuation between the two
independent clauses
Obama was one of the candidates for U. S.
president he won the election.

9. COMMA SPLICES
There is a COMMA placed between the two
independent clauses
Obama held his acceptance speech at Grant
Park in Chicago, there were thousands of
admirers in attendance at the event.

10. Is this a run-on sentence?
Duterte used the Internet to reach out to many
people, consequently many people voted for
him.

11. YES!
The word consequently is a conjunctive
(connecting) adverb which cannot be used to
connect two independent clauses.
Sometimes comma splices are created in this
way.

12. CORRECTING RUN-ONS
USING CONVENTIONAL
PUNCTUATION

13. ONE
SEPARATE THE INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES INTO TWO SENTENCES

16. TWO
JOIN THE INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
WITH A SEMICOLON OR COLON
( ; or : )

18. THREE
CONNECT THE INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES WITH A COMMA AND A
COORDINATING CONJUNCTION.

19. Coordinating conjunctions

21. FOUR
MAKE ONE OF THE INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES INTO A DEPENDENT
CLAUSE
A dependent clause cannot stand on its own.

22. DEPENDENT CLAUSES
Adjective clauses
Adverb clauses

23. Adjective clauses consist of
RELATIVE PRONOUNS + PREDICATE
who used the Internet
which was on the Internet
that caused much consternation
whose use of the Internet

25. Adverb clauses consist of
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION +
SUBJECT + PREDICATE
after Duterte won the election
although the election caused much consternation
before people voted
when Duterte won
while the elections were going on

27. FIVE
RESTRUCTURE THE TWO
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES INTO ONE
INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
Turn one of the independent clauses into a phrase that
modifies the subject in the other independent clause.

29. SUMMARY
Separate the two independent clauses into two separate
sentences by adding a period.
Use a colon or semicolon to connect one independent clause
to the other.
Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to connect the
two independent clauses.
Make one independent clause into a dependent clause by
using relative pronouns or subordinating conjunctions.
Restructure the independent clauses into one independent
clause.

30. Adapted by K. Wykes from:
Wysocki, Anne Francis. The DK Handbook.
New York: Pearson Education, 2009.