Chapter 19: Run-onsCopyright © 2011

http://www.heartofeugene.org/images/February-10.087.jpg

* It’s not a run-on sentence!

The two most common errors that students make at the sentence level, and the two most noticed errors by employers (for example, a job application letter) are called Fragments and Run-ons. Chapter 18 focused on Fragments, and this chapter focuses on Run-ons.

There are many ways to connect related sentences:

Use a Coordinating Conjunction (and, but, or).

Use a Subordinating Conjunction (when, after, if, although, who, that, and others).

You can use a semicolon (;).

Of course, you do not need to connect two sentences. Use a period to keep sentences apart that are not related.

The picture’s bleak, gentleman, the world’s climate is changing, the mammals are taking over, and we don’t even know if this is a run-on sentence!*

On the other hand, there are two methods you should not use to connect sentences that are related:

Never connect two sentences with a comma.

Never connect two sentences without punctuation.

Sentences that are connected with a comma or nothing at all are called Run-ons. Here are some examples:

Run-on I rode the bus to college, I got there on time.

Run-on I cut the grass Leslie pulled the weeds.

It may be true that the only thing wrong with a Run-on sentence is that the incorrect punctuation is used, but unfortunately that makes all the difference! Consider James Joyce, for example. James Joyce, perhaps the most famous novelist of the Twentieth Century, badly abused punctuation – especially the period, often left out rather than put in – in his later novels. While the literary merit of books like Ulysses and Finnegan’s Wake is undisputed, including the melodic flow of the sentences, it is not hard to realize that the lack of punctuation makes Joyce’s writing very difficult to understand. Here’s an example:

“…the old windows of the posadas 2 glancing eyes a lattice hid for her lover to kiss the iron and the wineshops half open at night and the castanets and the night we missed the boat at Algeciras the watchman going about serene with his lamp and O that awful deepdown torrent O and the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire and the glorious sunsets and the figtrees in the Alameda gardens yes and all the queer little streets and the pink and blue and yellow houses and the rosegardens and the jessamine and geraniums and cactuses and Gibraltar as a girl where I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and

then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.”

James Joyce Ulysses

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Joyce.html

Portrait of the Artist, James Joycehttp://buelahman.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/james-joyce.jpg

Of course, novelists are allowed to break the rules of grammar that academic writers, student writers, and on-the-job writers must follow. That’s because your writing must be clear and understandable to a wide variety of audiences, and that’s why you must be able to fix Run-on Sentences. Here are the ways you can make the necessary repairs:

Method #1 Divide the Run-on sentence with a period.

The easiest way to correct a Run-on sentence is to use a period to create two full sentences. If you’re ever uncertain about how to fix a Run-on, this method always works. Of course, the downside is that you might sacrifice clarity of meaning and variety in your writing (see Chapter 11 on Style).

Here are some examples of Run-on sentences* revised by adding a period:

Run-on Francisco saved for college, he worked overtime.

Sentence Francisco saved for college. He worked overtime.

Run-on At college, he spoke with an advisor he enrolled in five classes.

Sentence At college, he spoke with an advisor. He enrolled in five classes.

*To make the Run-ons easier to spot, we’ve underlined the Subjects and put the Verbs in bold.

Practice 1. Pick-up Level Basketball

http://music.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/0106_china/images/diary_basketball.jpg

Correct the following Run-ons by using a period to divide the two sentences.

Example Run-on: It was a bad storm, the lights were out for over two hours.Sentence: It was a bad storm. The lights were out for over two hours.

As we’ve learned, first identify the Verbs, and then knowing that the Subject comes before the Verb, do a (fill-in-the-blank) to find the

Subject. You know that “was” is one of the six forms of the “to be” Verb (am, are, is, was, were, will be), so “(What) was a bad storm”? “It was a bad storm,” so It is the Subject.

Notice that there is a second Subject-Verb (lights were). Next, look for a Conjunction, which must come before one of the

Subjects. Here are the Coordinated Conjunctions:(and, or, but, yet, for, so, nor).

Here’s a list of the Subordinating Conjunctions:

If there is no Conjunction before one of the Subjects, connecting the two sentences with a comma creates a Run-on sentence.

In this exercise, all you need to do to correct the Run-on sentence is divide the two sentences with a period.

1. Most people dream enthusiastically at night, their dreams seem to occupy hours, most last only a few minutes.

2. Dreams often feature familiar people and locations we are less willing to dismiss them outright.

Common Adverb Subordinating Conjunctions

afteralthoughasas ifas long asas thoughbecausebeforeeven ifeven though

ifif onlyin order thatnow thatoncerather thansinceso thatthanthat

thoughtillunlessuntilwhenwheneverwherewhereaswhereverwhile

Common ADJECTIVE Subordinate Conjunctions

Who Which That

3. We can't trace the content of dreams to an external source, we can't explain dreams the way we can explain random thoughts that occur to us during waking hours.

“Why Dreams Mean Less Than We Think”John Cloud Time Feb. 25, 2009 http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1881498,00.html

Method #2 Connect the Run-on sentence with a Semicolon (;).

One purpose of the Semicolon is to connect two sentences that are related. A period divides; a Semicolon connects. Since the reason for the Run-on in the first place is that the sentences seemed to be related, a Semicolon is often a good way to make a correction.

Here are some examples of Run-on sentences corrected with a Semicolon:

Run-on Francisco wanted to save for college, he worked overtime.

Sentence Francisco wanted to save for college; he worked overtime.

Run-on At college, he spoke with an advisor he enrolled in five classes.

Sentence At college, he spoke with an advisor; he enrolled in five classes.*

*Before using Semicolons in essays, here some advice: It’s easy to overuse Semicolons. Too many Semicolons make the writing seem phony, like using fancy words and phrases. Be careful not to use more than one Semicolon per page in an essay!

Practice 2. Pick-up Level Basketball

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5011/5587464106_3c613836c8.jpg

Correct the following Run-ons by using a semicolon to connect the two sentences.

Example Run-on: It was a bad storm, the lights were out for over two hours.Sentence: It was a bad storm; the lights were out for over two hours.

As we’ve learned, first identify the Verbs, and then knowing that the Subject comes before the Verb, do a (fill-in-the-blank) to find the Subject. You know that “was” is one of the six forms of the “to be” Verb (am, are, is, was, were, will be), so “(What) was a bad storm”? “It was a bad storm,” so It is the Subject.

Notice that there is a second Subject-Verb (lights were). Next, look for a Conjunction, which must come before one of the

Subjects. Here are the Coordinated Conjunctions:

(and, or, but, yet, for, so, nor).

Here are also the Subordinating Conjunctions:

If there is no Conjunction before one of the Subjects, connecting the two sentences with a comma creates a Run-on sentence.

In this exercise, all you need to do to correct the Run-on sentence is connect the two sentences with a Semicolon.

1. We love to interpret dreams, those acts of interpretation give dreams meaning.

2. Human beings are irrational about dreams just as they are irrational about a lot of things we make dumb choices all the time on the basis of silly information like racial bias.

3. Subjects in an experiment were asked to estimate the percentage of African countries represented in the United Nations, a researcher spun a wheel of fortune in front of them that landed on a random number between 0 and 100.

4. People tended to pick an answer that wasn't far from the number on the wheel, the wheel had nothing to do with African countries.

Common Adverb Subordinating Conjunctions

afteralthoughasas ifas long asas thoughbecausebeforeeven ifeven though

ifif onlyin order thatnow thatoncerather thansinceso thatthanthat

thoughtillunlessuntilwhenwheneverwherewhereaswhereverwhile

Common ADJECTIVE Subordinate Conjunctions

Who Which That

Method #3 Connect the Run-On sentence with a Coordinating Conjunction.

Perhaps the most commonly used method of correcting a Run-on Sentence is by connecting the sentences with a Coordinating Conjunction. A Coordinating Conjunction is used to connect two sentences of equal importance in the writing (see Chapter 15).

Here’s a list of the Coordinating Conjunctions:

andbutor

norsoforyet

Here are some examples of Run-on sentences corrected with a Coordinating Conjunction:

Run-on Francisco wanted to save for college, he worked overtime.

Sentence Francisco wanted to save for college, so he worked overtime.

Run-on At college, he spoke with an advisor he enrolled in five classes.

Sentence At college, he spoke with an advisor and enrolled in five classes.

Fragment!

At college, he spoke with an advisor. And he enrolled in five classes.

Practice 3. Intermediate Level Basketball

http://www.woodburnindependent.com/ImageViewer/500/500?file=/assets/NewsAsset/photo51495.jpg

YouTube Video of some incredible “Trick Shots” in basketball (Click Here).

Correct the following Run-ons by using a Coordinating Conjunction to connect the two sentences. Add any commas that are needed.

Example Run-on: It was a bad storm, the lights were out for over two hours.Sentence: It was a bad storm, and the lights were out for over two hours.

As we’ve learned, first identify the Verbs, and then knowing that the Subject comes before the Verb, do a (fill-in-the-blank) to find the Subject. You know that “was” is one of the six forms of the “to be” Verb (am, are, is, was, were, will be), so “(What) was a bad storm”? “It was a bad storm,” so It is the Subject.

Notice that there is a second Subject-Verb (lights were). Next, look for a Conjunction, which must come before one of the

Subjects. Here are the Coordinated Conjunctions:

(and, or, but, yet, for, so, nor).

Here are also the Subordinating Conjunctions:

If there is no Conjunction before one of the Subjects, connecting the two sentences with a comma creates a Run-on sentence.

In this exercise, all you need to do to correct the Run-on sentence is add a Coordinating Conjunction (and, or, but, yet, for, so, nor) before the second Subject. Remember to add any commas that are needed.

Example Run-on: It was a bad storm, the lights were out for over two hours.Sentence: It was a bad storm, and the lights were out for over two hours.

1. We invest more meaning in dreams in which our enemies are punished, we invest less meaning in dreams in which our enemies emerge

Common Adverb Subordinating Conjunctions

afteralthoughasas ifas long asas thoughbecausebeforeeven ifeven though

ifif onlyin order thatnow thatoncerather thansinceso thatthanthat

thoughtillunlessuntilwhenwheneverwherewhereaswhereverwhile

Common ADJECTIVE Subordinate Conjunctions

Who Which That

victorious.

2. We all make dumb choices we make mistakes.

3. A good night's sleep is becoming ever more elusive, it's a problem for most Americans.

4. Good sleep habits helps cognitive development in children, light-sleeping children are not doomed to not being smart.

5. Unfortunately, sleep remains elusive for many Americans, cell phones and our jobs may be to blame.

“Can't Sleep? Turn Off the Cell Phone!” Alice Park Time Aug. 31, 2007http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1658166,00.html

Method #4 Connect the Run-On sentence with a Subordinating Conjunction.

An excellent method of correcting a Run-on sentence, because it adds to the precision and variety of your writing, is to connect the sentences with a Subordinating Conjunction. A Subordinating Conjunction is used to connect two sentences when one of the sentences is less important than, and helps to support, the main sentence in the writing (see Chapters 16 and 17).

Here’s a list of commonly used Subordinating Conjunctions:

Common ADVERB Subordinating Conjunctions

afteralthoughasas ifas long asas thoughbecausebeforeeven ifeven though

ifif onlyin order thatnow thatoncerather thansinceso thatthanthat

thoughtillunlessuntilwhenwheneverwherewhereaswhereverwhile

Here are some examples of Run-on Sentences corrected with a Subordinating Conjunction:

Run-on Francisco wanted to save for college, he worked overtime.

Sentence Because Francisco wanted to save for college, he worked overtime.

Run-on At college, he spoke with an advisor he enrolled in five classes.

Sentence At college, after he spoke with an advisor, he enrolled in five classes.

Run-on Francisco kept an excellent GPA, he had to drop one of his classes.

Sentence Francisco kept an excellent GPA although he had to drop one of his classes.

Fragment!

Francisco kept an excellent GPA. Although, he had to drop one of his classes.

Practice 4. Intermediate Level Basketball

Common ADJECTIVE Subordinating Conjunctions

Who which that

http://sports.trinidadstate.edu/index.php/photos?func=detail&id=147

Correct the following Run-ons by using a Subordinating Conjunction to connect the two sentences. When choosing a Subordinate Conjunction, review the list above. Add any commas that are needed.

Example Run-on: It was a bad storm, the lights were out for over two hours.Sentence: (Since it was a bad storm), the lights were out for over two hours.

As we’ve learned, first identify the Verbs, and then knowing that the Subject comes before the Verb, do a (fill-in-the-blank) to find the Subject. You know that “was” is one of the six forms of the “to be” Verb (am, are, is, was, were, will be), so “(What) was a bad storm”? “It was a bad storm,” so It is the Subject.

Notice that there is a second Subject-Verb (lights were). Next, look for a Conjunction, which must come before one of the

Subjects. Here are the Coordinated Conjunctions:(and, or, but, yet, for, so, nor).

Here’s a list of the Subordinating Conjunctions:

Since there is no Conjunction before one of the Subjects, connecting the two sentences with a comma creates a Run-on sentence.

When to use Commas Subordinate Clauses: 1. With ADVERB Subordinate Clauses, use a comma if the

Subordinate Clause comes first in the sentence and do not use a comma if the Subordinate Clause does not come first. In the example sentence: “(When the semester began), Jorge enrolled in five classes” you need a comma.

2. Here’s how to use Commas with ADJECTIVE Subordinate Clauses:

Which: Always use a comma.That: Never use a comma.Who: You choose (whether to use a comma).

In this exercise, all you need to do to correct the Run-on sentence is add a Subordinating Conjunction (see lists above) before the first or second Subject. Remember to add any commas that are needed.

Run-on: It was a bad storm, the lights were out for over two hours.

Common ADVERB Subordinate Conjunctions

afteralthoughasas ifas long asas thoughbecausebeforeeven ifeven though

ifif onlyin order thatnow thatoncerather thansinceso thatthan

thoughtillunlessuntilwhenwheneverwherewhereaswhereverwhile

Common ADJECTIVE Subordinate Conjunctions

Who Which That

Sentence: (Since it was a bad storm), the lights were out for over two hours.

1. People have dreams about good things, they are more likely to say those dreams are meaningful. Hint: who

2. You're asked to look at your Social Security number, you're more likely to pick an answer close to the digits in your SSN. Hint: when

3. After the young children did not get enough sleep, they were more likely to have behavioral and cognitive problems. Hint: after

4. The study was conducted at the Sleep Disorders Center where researchers analyzed the sleep patterns of close to 1,500 children. Hint: where

5. Early childhood is a critical period, lack of sleep can lead to detrimental effects on behavior and development later in life. Hint: when

6. Most teens concentrated their phone use around midnight some continued communicating well past 3 a.m. Hint: although

7. People may pay for shorter slumber with a shorter life span because sleep is the body's opportunity to rest and repair what the day has wrought. Hint: because

8. People who sleep between 6.5 hr. and 7.5 hr. a night live the longest, while people who sleep 8 hr. or more, or less than 6.5 hr., don't live quite as long. Hint: while

9. People started piling up too much sleep, the risk of dying rises 110%. Hint: when

10. Sleeping pills produce a poorer-quality sleep, it's as bad as getting too little. Hint: which

Method #5 Connect the Run-on sentence with an “ing,” “ed,” or (“to” + the Verb) Phrase.

An excellent method of correcting a Run-on Sentence – excellent because it adds precision and variety of your writing – is to connect the sentences with an “ing,” “ed,” or (“to” + the Verb) Phrase. The purpose of Verb Phrases is to support the main sentence in the writing. To create a Verb Phrase, remove the Subject and change the Verb.

Here are some examples of Verb Phrases: “ing” Verb Phrase Speaking the truth, Angelica impressed

the committee.

“ed” Verb Phrase Stopped for speeding, James lost his license for a year.

(“to” + the Verb) Phrase

He set as his goal to graduate in two years.

Here are some examples of Run-on Sentences corrected with an (“ing”), (“ed”), or (“to” + the Verb) Phrase:

Run-on

Sentence with a “ing” Verb Phrase

Angelica spoke the truth, She impressed the committee.

To correct the Fragment using an “ing” Verb Phrase, first remove the Subject (Angelica) and remake the Verb (spoke) by adding “ing” to the Present Tense form (speak) (speaking), which makes an “ing” Verb Phrase:

Speaking the truth, Angelica impressed the committee.

Run-on He was stopped for speeding, James lost his license for a year.

Sentence“ed” Verb Phrase

To correct the Fragment using an “ed” Verb Phrase, first remove the Subject (He) and the Helping Verb (was), leaving the Main Verb (stopped), which makes an “ed” Verb Phrase:

Stopped for speeding, James lost his license for a year.

Run-on

Sentence(“to” + the Verb Phrase)

Francisco kept an excellent GPA, he dropped one of his classes.

To correct the Fragment using a “to + a Verb” Phrase, first remove the Subject (Francisco) and remake the Past Tense form of the Verb (kept), by adding “to” to the present tense form (keep), which makes an and remake the Verb (took) by adding “ing” to the Present Tense form (take) “taking,” which makes a “to + a Verb” Phrase:

To keep an excellent GPA, Francisco had to drop one of his classes.

Practice 5. Challenge Level Basketball

http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Maya+Moore/NCAA+Basketball+Tournament+Women+Final+Four/-ENEjhFR2vU

Correct the following Run-ons by using an (“ing”), (“ed”), or (“to” + the Verb) Phrase to connect the two sentences. Add any commas that are needed.

A. You can correct a Run-on Sentence with a “ing” Verb Phrase.

Example Run-on: Shari took the bus to class, she made it on time.Sentence: Taking the early bus, Shari was determined to make it to class on

time.To correct the Fragment using an “ing” Verb Phrase, first remove the Subject (Shari) and remake the Verb (took) by adding “ing” to the Present Tense form (take) (taking), which makes an “ing” Verb Phrase. (Notice that we replaced the pronoun “she” with the Subject “Shari.”)

Use a comma no matter where an “ing” Verb Phrase comes in the sentence.

B. You can also correct a Run-on Sentence with an ed” Verb Phrase.

Example Run-on: Shari was determined to make it to class on time, she took the

early bus.Sentence: Determined to make it to class on time, Shari took the early bus.

To correct the Fragment using an “ed” Verb Phrase, first remove the Subject (Shari) and the Helping Verb (was), leaving the Main Verb (determined), which makes an “ed” Verb Phrase. (Notice that we replaced the pronoun “she” with the Subject “Shari.”)

Only use a comma if the “ed” Verb Phrase comes first in the sentence. If the “ed” Verb Phrase comes second, do not use a comma.

C. You can also correct a Run-on Sentence with a (“to” + the Verb) Phrase.

Example Run-on: Shari took the bus to class, she made it on time.

Sentence: To make it to class on time, Shari took the early bus.

To correct the Fragment using a “to + a Verb” Phrase, first remove the Subject (Francisco) and remake the Past Tense form of the Verb (kept), by adding “to” to the present tense form (keep), which makes an and remake the Verb (took) by adding “ing” to the Present Tense form (take) “taking,” which makes a “to + a Verb” Phrase. (Notice that we replaced the pronoun “she” with the Subject “Shari.”)

Use a comma no matter where an “ed” Verb Phrase comes in the sentence.

In this exercise, all you need to do to correct the Run-on sentence is remove one of the Subjects and change the Verb into an (“ing”), (“ed”), or (“to” + the Verb) Phrase to connect the two sentences. Remember to add any commas that are needed.

1. Short-sleeping children were compared with a more rested group they performed poorly on vocabulary and cognitive development tests at age five. (Hint: try removing the first Subject.)

2. In fact, one fewer hour of sleep a night during early development can triple a child's chance of scoring low on standardized tests, this underlines sleep's long-lasting effects on proper language and cognitive development. (Hint: try removing the second Subject with an “ing” Verb Phrase.)

3. The short-sleepers were also more likely to score higher on tests of hyperactivity and impulsivity at age six, the study highlighted the importance of consistent and sufficient sleep in promoting concentration and attention skills. (Hint: try removing the second Subject.)

4. Dr. Jodi Mindell concludes that the study doesn't establish a firm cause and effect between sleep and test performance, she notes that other factors can affect both how long children sleep and how they score on tests. (Hint: try removing the second Subject.)

5. The researchers followed the kids for one year, they report that teens who used their cell phone more than once a week after lights-out were five times more likely than kids who never used cell phones at bedtime to say they felt tired one year later. (Hint: try removing the first Subject with an “ing” Verb Phrase.)

6. He and his team were surprised they found that the main reason adults lost sleep at night was work. (Hint: try removing the second Subject with a “to” plus a Verb Phrase.)

7. Researchers should ask about how much time their subjects spend at work, they should control for the influence that work may have on sleep. (Hint: try removing the second Subject with a “to” plus a Verb Phrase.)

8. We need to understand why we don't sleep, this could lead to better ways of helping us get more z's. (Hint: try removing the second Subject with an “ing” Verb Phrase.)

9. Don’t connect your symptoms with a disease that you don’t know much about. It’s not a good idea. (Hint: try removing the first Subject with a “to” plus a Verb Phrase.)

10. You can jump to the wrong conclusion about your health it’s easy for you not to see the full picture. (Hint: try removing the first Subject with an “ing” Verb Phrase.)

“Five Great Health Sites”Kate DaileyNewsweek August 11, 2009

Practice 6 Challenge Level Basketball

http://dasspunk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/derrick.jpg

(YouTube Video of Derrick Rose Highlights)

The following essay has lots of Run-ons. Correct the Run-ons using any of the following methods discussed in this chapter:

Add a period to divide the two sentences. Add a Semicolon to connect the two sentences. Add a Coordinating Conjunction to connect the two sentences. Add a Subordinating Conjunction to connect the two sentences. Add an “ing,” “ed,” or (“to” + the Verb) Phrase to connect the two

sentences.

I, Julia

In the summer of 1988, my mother walked in the kitchen to find me

standing in a drawer to reach the counter, in my right hand was a meat

cleaver. In my left, a ripe banana, I was meticulously julienning, skin and

all. Over the din of chopping, I was delivering this sing-songy instructional

narrative: "And then you just chop it up, until it's reaaal creamy" I was not

yet three.

In a kind of panic-induced slow motion, my mom snatched the four-inch

blade out of my hands, she scooped up my "real creamy" goo, she shooed

my studio audience (my sister, then 18 months, whose chubby fingers were

nearing the blade). I protested: "But Julia Child does it!" I thought of this

misadventure, I watched the movie about Julia Child, Julie and Julia, with

Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.

I've gotten older and expanded my cooking repertoire beyond pulverized

fruit, it's become remarkable to me how Julia Child managed to entertain

her audience, she was preparing incredibly complex food. Child made

intensely difficult dishes on her show. She was not about simple, clean, or

easy, you'd never know it from her onscreen persona. She would babble

away like it was all so easy.

How hard is it for us laypeople to make Julia Child dishes and still be

bubbly, gracious hosts? I know that it’s very hard, I played Julia Child for a

day. I popped into my office dining room's kitchen with groceries, within

minutes I'd hacked open my thumb. Within an hour, I'd caved, I asked for

help.

The result at the end of the day? At least it was fun the experience fully

made my point: Julia Child's food is complicated as heck. She’s an

entertainer, she made cooking look like a fun. For that—plus my well-

honed, banana-slivering knife skills—I have to say thanks.

(Adapted and shortened to create lots of run-ons just for this exercise! from an article by Sarah Ball in Newsweek – our apologies to Sarah who’s actually a wonderful writer!)

Sarah Ball, attempting to be Julia Child, pulls a dish from the oven.

YouTube Trailer of the movie Julie and Julia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8EcvSW80Ag

Julia Child’s World Famous Cookbook, first published, 1961

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0375413405/ref=dp_image_z_0?

ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=book

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell – movie starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep

http://www.thebrokenheeldiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/9780316044271_1681X2544.jpg