Run-on Sentences
Popular Misconception
A run-on sentence is just a really long sentence.
Not True!
A run-on sentence is a sentence that contains more than one clause without proper punctuation.
What does it look like?
John would obsess over his wife he would watch her wherever she went.
What's wrong with that?
This sentence has two independent clauses, but no punctuation separating them. Let's take a look at each clause. Here's the first one: "John would obsess over his wife." Here's the second one: "He would watch over her wherever she went." Each of these clauses contains a subject, a verb, and a complete thought, the three necessary ingredients for an independent clause or complete sentence.
So, what do I do?
You have a lot of options:
- Make them separate sentences using a period: John would obsess over his wife. He would watch her wherever she went.
- Show a connection between the two clauses using a comma and a coordinating conjunction: John would obsess over his wife, and he would watch over her wherever she went.
- Show a connection using fancier punctuation like a semicolon, colon or a dash: John would obsess over his wife; he would watch over her wherever she went. OR John would obsess over his wife—he would watch over her wherever she went. (A dash is kind of like a semicolon, but a little more dramatic. A dash almost says, "wait for it—"then BAM hits you with the punch line.) OR John would obsess over his wife: he would watch over her wherever she went. (Use a colon when the second clause specifically explains what you meant by the first clause.)
It's all about the punctuation
Run-onJohn would obsess over his wife he would watch over her wherever she went.
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Not a run-onJohn Wade, the protagonist of In the Lake of the Woods, Tim O'Brien's dark and twisty story of war, lies, and the human heart, is a deeply troubled and secretive man who lies to himself, his wife, and the country until his lies all come crashing down on him during the most important night of his life, a night when he expected to achieve all his goals but instead became a pariah—but what made Wade the man he is today?
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