Run-ons
Run-on = 2 or more thoughts running together in a sentence without adequate breaks
Types of run-ons
Fused sentences
Comma splices
Example
I couldn’t find my identity card anywhere I thought I’d left it in my car.
I couldn’t find my identity card anywhere, I thought I’d left it in my car, I went back to
the car and searched for it, still I couldn’t find it.
Possible solutions: The first two solutions are the two most common ones.
1. Full stop
I couldn’t find my identity card anywhere. I thought I’d left it in my car.
2. Comma (+ joining I couldn’t find my identity card anywhere, and I thought I’d left it in my car.
word) (and, but, or…)
3. Semicolon (+
I couldn’t find my identity card anywhere. I thought I’d left it in my car. I went back to
transitional words)
the car and searched for it; (however,) I still couldn’t find it.
4. Subordination
I couldn’t find my identity card anywhere. Since I thought I’d left it in my car, I went
(because, when…)
back to the car and searched for it.
The best possible solution is: I couldn’t find my identity card anywhere. I thought I’d left it in my car, so I went
back to the car and searched for it; however, still I couldn’t find it.
A. Correct the run-ons with solutions 1 & 2. Do not use the same method for every sentence.
1. The children in the next car were making faces at other drivers, when I made a face back, they giggled and
sank out of sight.
2. My dog was panting from the heat I decided to wet him down with the garden hose.
3. Vicky has her own unique style of dressing she wore a man’s tuxedo with a red bow tie to her cousin’s
wedding.
4. Today I didn’t make good time driving to work every traffic light along the way was red.
5. Teresa works full time for an accounting firm she takes evening classes.
B. Correct the run-ons in the passage.
My worst experience of the week was going home for lunch, rather than eating at work. My children didn’t
know I was coming, they had used most of the bread. All I had to make a sandwich with were two thin,
crumpled pieces of crust. I sat there eating my tattered sandwich and trying to relax, then the telephone rang. It
was for my daughter, who was in the bathroom, she called down to me that I should get the person’s name and
number. As soon as I sat down again, someone knocked on the door, it was a neatly dressed couple with bright
eyes who wanted to talk with me about a higher power in life. I politely got rid of them and went back to finish
lunch. I thought I would relax over my coffee I had to break up a fight between my two young sons about
Source: Langan, John. College Writing Skills with Readings, 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 2001
Run-ons 2005
which television channel to watch. As a last bit of frustration, my daughter came downstairs and asked me to
drive her over to a friend’s house before I went back to work.
Source: Langan, John. College Writing Skills with Readings, 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 2001
Run-ons 2005