What is a run-on sentence, and how can you fix it?

What is a run-on sentence, and how can you fix it?

• A. A run-on sentence occurs when a dependent clause is wrongly used.
• B. A run-on sentence is a sentence that is too short.
• C. A run-on improperly joins independent clauses; fix by adding a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction with a comma.
• D. A run-on sentence can be fixed by removing verbs.

Answer: (C)

A run-on happens when two or more complete thoughts (independent clauses) are glued together without proper punctuation or a connecting word. The fix is to separate those ideas with a period, or to join them correctly with a semicolon, or with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). For example, you can write: "I finished my homework. I watched a movie." or "I finished my homework; I watched a movie." or "I finished my homework, and I watched a movie." These correctly show two complete ideas linked in a way that’s easy to read. The other ideas don’t fit because they describe different issues. A dependent clause misused leads to a sentence fragment, not a run-on. A sentence that’s too short isn’t the problem here. And removing verbs would destroy the meaning rather than fix how clauses are joined.

A run-on happens when two or more complete thoughts (independent clauses) are glued together without proper punctuation or a connecting word. The fix is to separate those ideas with a period, or to join them correctly with a semicolon, or with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

For example, you can write: "I finished my homework. I watched a movie." or "I finished my homework; I watched a movie." or "I finished my homework, and I watched a movie." These correctly show two complete ideas linked in a way that’s easy to read.

The other ideas don’t fit because they describe different issues. A dependent clause misused leads to a sentence fragment, not a run-on. A sentence that’s too short isn’t the problem here. And removing verbs would destroy the meaning rather than fix how clauses are joined.