Run-on sentence
A run-on is a sentence in which two or more independent clauses (i.e., complete sentences) are joined without an appropriate punctuation or conjunction. For example:
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It is nearly half past five we cannot reach town before dark.[1]
Although this is generally considered a stylistic error, it is occasionally used in literature and may be used as a rhetorical device.
Prescriptive view
Run-on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are joined without using a coordinating conjunction (i.e., for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or correct punctuation (i.e., semicolons, dashes, or periods). [2][3] It can also simply be that the wordy phrases should be separate sentences with subject and verb in agreement. If too many descriptive phrases cannot be traced to the original subject, it should be edited into a clean sentence.
A run-on sentence can be as short as four words, for instance I drive she walks. In this case there are two subjects paired with two intransitive verbs. However, with correct punctuation, a writer can assemble multiple independent clauses in a single sentence; a properly constructed sentence can be extended indefinitely.
While some sources view comma splices as a form of run-on sentence,[3] others limit the term to independent clauses that are joined without punctuation.[2][4]
Correction
There are several ways to correct a run-on sentence.
- Insert a semicolon or dash:
- It is nearly half past five; we cannot reach town before dark.
- It is nearly half past five—we cannot reach town before dark.
- Write the two clauses as two separate sentences (Note: this may disconnect related independent clauses and cause some of the meaning to be lost):
- It is nearly half past five. We cannot reach town before dark.
- Insert a coordinating conjunction with a comma:
- It is nearly half past five, so we cannot reach town before dark.
- It is nearly half past five, and we cannot reach town before dark.
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- In British English, there would be no comma before the word and (i.e., It is nearly half past five and we cannot reach town before dark.)
- Make one clause dependent on the other:
- Because it is nearly half past five, we cannot reach town before dark.
- It is nearly half past five, which means we cannot reach town before dark.
Literature
Despite the run-on sentence being generally considered grammatically incorrect, there are numerous examples of them being used in literature.
- The short story ""Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman" is known for its use of improper grammar, one example of which is a paragraph about jelly beans composed almost entirely of run-on sentences.
- James Joyce's novel Ulysses comprises streams of consciousness that often take the form of long and unpunctuated run-on sentences, particularly the final chapter, "Penelope".
See also
References
- ↑ Examples adapted from the online, public-domain 1918 edition of The Elements of Style.
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