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HOME - Desire2Learn - Ning - Mythology & Folklore - World Literature - Indian Epics |
Run-on sentences, sometimes referred to as "comma splices," are a very common writing problem. There are several different ways to fix run-on sentences. You can break them up into separate sentences, or you can change the comma to a semicolon, or you can insert a coordinating word or phrase.
BREAK IT UP INTO SEPARATE SENTENCES
| INCORRECT | CORRECT |
| You are my friend, what can I do to help you? | You are my friend. What can I do to help you? |
| I thought they were true, I believed everything. | I thought they were true. I believed everything. |
| The note was from Robert, he wanted to meet me at 10. | The note was from Robert. He wanted to meet me at 10. |
USE OTHER PUNCTUATION
| INCORRECT | CORRECT |
| Life was hard in those years, many people died. | Life was hard in those years; many people died. |
| You must forgive him, he had no other choice. | You must forgive him; he had no other choice. |
INSERT A COORDINATING WORD OR PHRASE:
| INCORRECT | CORRECT |
| The time had come, he got up and left. | The time had come, so he got up and left. |
| I want you to go to sleep, everything will be alright. | I want you to go to sleep, and everything will be alright. |
| Much time had passed, their children were grown. | Much time had passed, and their children were grown. |
| It was a tense situation, he just laughed and kept on talking. | It was a tense situation, but he just laughed and kept on talking. |
| Even though it was a tense situation, he just laughed and kept on talking. | |
| We were running late, we missed the bus again. | We were running late, so we missed the bus again. |
| Because we were running late, we missed the bus again. |