It is important for anybody who writes to know how to correct run on sentences as this type of error can make it harder to understand your writing and get your message across. Run on sentences occur frequently and are among the most common grammar mistakes people make. There are two types of run on sentences:
- Fused sentence. When two or more independent clauses are combined into a single sentence without using any punctuation or without a coordinating conjunction this is a type of run on known as a fused sentence
- Comma splice. Two or more independent clauses joined in a single sentence by a comma with no coordinating conjunction is a run on sentence known as a comma splice
If knowing how to define run-on sentence mistakes doesn’t help you with identifying and correcting them you are not alone. Identifying and revising run on sentences is something many people find confusing and difficult.
Tips and Tricks to Help with Run on Sentences
There are plenty of people who aren’t sure how to identify run on sentences, let alone correct them. If you are one of those asking how do you fix a run on sentence, the following 10 tips can help:
- Learn how to identify independent clauses. Run on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are combined incorrectly. An independent clause is a simple sentence. It has a subject, a verb and expresses a complete thought.
- Learn the coordinating conjunctions. One of the causes of run on sentences is that there is no coordinating conjunction separating independent clauses. You can remember the coordinating conjunctions with the acronym “fanboys” (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
- Fix a run on sentence by making it two sentences. Separate the two independent clauses with a period to form two sentences.
- Fix a run on by separating two independent clauses with a semicolon. The word following the semicolon need not be capitalized unless it is a proper noun.
- For comma splice errors add a coordinating conjunction following the comma to correct the mistake
- Use an em dash to separate two independent clauses.
- Place a subordinating conjunction between the two independent clauses so that the second independent clause becomes a dependent clause.
- Use subordinating conjunction at the beginning of the sentence to turn the first independent clause into a dependent clause. In this case the independent clauses must be separated by a comma.
- Use a conjunctive adverb to combine independent clauses in a sentence. Conjunctive adverbs can be used with a comma and a semicolon to correct run on sentences.
- Separate independent clauses with a colon. The first word following the colon shouldn’t be capitalized unless it is a proper noun.
Methods to Approach Run on Sentence Paragraph Editing
There are a number of different ways to approach proofreading and editing text for run on mistakes. These include:
- Proofread and edit the text yourself. Editing and proofreading for run on sentences on your own has the benefit that you are only answerable to yourself. However, it can be time consuming and it is easy to overlook mistakes in your own text, especially if you aren’t familiar with detecting and correcting run on sentences.
- Get professional help online. Hiring a professional to proofread and edit your text generally produces good results. It can be expensive and you will be dependent on their schedule.
- Get help from a friend. If you have a friend with the necessary skills and the time to help then this is an option. You will be dependent on their schedule and human error could be a factor.
- Use a run on sentence corrector. You can fix run on sentences online using a writing tool like the one we provide. Our tool will identify all types of run on mistakes and provide suggestions on how to correct them.
Of the different ways to fix a run on sentence, using our run on sentence corrector is the most effective. Our sentence corrector isn’t subject to human error and is very accurate. You can access it anytime as long as there is available internet and it takes less than a minute to analyze your text. As it is a free run on sentence checker it is also affordable. Additionally, it can benefit you if you don’t know how to fix fragments and other grammatical errors in your text.
Advantages of Our Run on Sentence Fixer
In addition to being able to detect and correct fused sentences and comma splices our sentence fixer can help with a number of other types of errors. Sentence fragments are another frequent error and our tool also functions as an incomplete sentence checker. Not only that, but our writing tool also works as a spelling checker, dictionary checker, punctuation checker as well as checking for other types of grammatical errors such as noun/verb agreement. As with run on sentences it identifies the mistake and provides recommended corrections to fix them. Using our tool is simple. Just follow these basic steps:
- Enter the text you want analyzed into the provided field.
- Initiate the text analysis by clicking the button.
- Receive the text analysis. Run on sentences and other errors will be identified and recommendations on how to fix mistakes will be included.
- Make the recommended corrections
To see how to correct run on sentences quickly and accurately to produce great text try our sentence corrector on your next writing task.
