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June 13, 2000
RUN-ON SENTENCES
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Run-on (or fused) sentences are one of the most serious punctuation errors in sentence construction. Many people believe run-on sentences are merely long sentences that function like the "Energizer Bunny"--they keep on going and going. Actually, a run-on sentence occurs when "no punctuation" or "no connecting word" is placed between two sentences, causing reader confusion.
EXAMPLE:
Sentence #1: The two lads went on a picnic.
Sentence #2: Then they drove home.
Run-On Sentence (Error): The two lads went on a picnic then they drove home.
Many readers will automatically fix this run-on sentence while reading since a natural stop occurs after "picnic."
EXAMPLE:
Sentence #1: The two lads went on a picnic.
Sentence #2: Although they came home late, Mama had dinner waiting.
Run-On Sentence (Error): The two lads went on a picnic although they came home late, Mama had dinner waiting.
Notice how the run-on sentence above makes sense until readers reach the "comma" after "late." At this point, readers sense something is wrong, causing them to re-read the entire passage.
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CORRECTING RUN-ON SENTENCES
It's easy to correct run-on sentences by placing an appropriate punctuation mark between them (a period or semicolon), or combining the sentences appropriately. But be careful you don't join them with a comma or you'll create a comma splice (see last week's column). The difficult part is recognizing run-on sentences. Here are some ways to find them in your writing:
1. Read your sentences aloud. You'll often hear that something isn't correct.
2. Underline all the independent clauses in your writing and check to see how they're separated (or not). If they're not separated with a punctuation mark or a conjunction, you may have a run-on sentence.
3. Ask a friend to check your writing, someone who recognizes run-on sentences. Ask him/her to place brackets around any "fused" sentences, then make sure YOU correct them.
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PRACTICE
At times we'll include grammar and punctuation exercises for your practice, but the best practice is when you use your OWN writing. Find a letter or page you've written and check to see if you recognize any run-on sentences or comma splices by following the three steps listed above.
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ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PRACTICE
In our last issue, five sentences--each containing a comma splice--were to be corrected with all four methods listed in last week's edition. Many answers are possible. We've posted some examples on our web site at
http://www.grammarcheck.com/answers/61300.htm
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CHECK OUT OUR NEW "SEARCHABLE" INDEX
Subscribers to GrammarCheck can now search past issues of GrammarCheck for topics of interest at the following web site address:
http://www.grammarcheck.com/archives
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SPELLING TIP
Spell out numbers that begin sentences.
Incorrect: 42 babies were born in Tampa today.
Correct: Forty-two babies were born in Tampa today.
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When spelling out a number becomes onerous (i.e., the current year), avoid placing it at the beginning of a sentence.
Weak: 1996 is the year Henry graduated.
Better: Henry graduated in 1996.
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION: What exactly is a dangling participle? Is it the same as ending a sentence with a preposition?
GRAMMARCHECK: Dangling participles occur when a participle (present or past) does not clearly refer to the word or phrase it modifies.
Example: Discouraged, boating was out of the question.
In the example above, "discouraged" is a past participle that incorrectly refers to "boating," but it doesn't make sense that "boating" is discouraged. As a result, "discouraged" is a dangling participle.
Correction: Since I was discouraged, boating was out of the question.
In the correction above, "discouraged" is a past participle that correctly refers to "I" rather than "boating." Another correction may be the following: "Discouraged, I knew that boating was out of the question."
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QUESTION: Which is correct: (a) "The reason WHY . . ." or (b) "The reason THAT . . ."?
GRAMMARCHECK: "The reason WHY" is correct. "Why" can mean "reason" or "cause." Another meaning of "why" is "for which" or "on account of which," which you can substitute easily for "why" in the following sentence.
Example: The reason why you did it was clear.
Example: The reason for which you did it was clear.
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QUESTION: You write your answers, but you never introduced yourself and did not give out your credentials. To make me believe that you are right in most of the cases, please provide your credentials. Anyone can make his/her own rules and pass them as the correct ones. Thanks. (Barbara)
GRAMMARCHECK: Hello, Barbara. We are Associate Professors teaching English courses at a large midwestern university. For more information, check out our web site at http://www.grammarcheck.com/
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QUESTION: Which is correct: (a) "on the next succeeding business day" or (b) "on the succeeding business day"? In other words, is there any difference between these two in terms of the meaning? Thanks so much. (Emin)
GRAMMARCHECK: Your second choice is correct since "succeeding" also means "next." Of course, if you're referring to the day AFTER the next business day, you could use your first choice, but that gets confusing, yes?
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QUESTION: Which is correct: (a) "suppose to" or (b) "supposed to"?
GRAMMARCHECK: "Supposed to" is correct.
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QUESTION: How quickly do you respond to mail? I wrote a paper about 6 weeks ago and look every day to see if it has been answered and nothing. Just curious.
GRAMMARCHECK: Because so many questions are received every week, we are unable to answer all of them. Sometimes people ask a question that has already been answered, so we try not to repeat our questions and answers. (Check our "archives" for your question first. We've just added a search engine to it.) If you e-mailed a paper for us to proofread, however, an answer is not likely to be printed in our column since GrammarCheck is not a proofreading service. :-)
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