Lecture Notes
Proofreading for Run-Ons

(Cross reference: pp. 277-283 in Passages.)

Just as with fragments, let's prioritize our concerns with run-ons:

You need two skills to be able to proofread for fragments.
 
SKILL #1
 How to recognize them
You must be able to recognize them.  There are two types to watch out for:
  • Fused Sentences
  • Comma Splices
  • Look at a sentence from the capital letter to the period.
      • Ex: Yadda yadda blah blah yadda yadda blah blah.
  • Ask yourself, "Who does what?" or "Who did what?" or "What happened?"

    • If you find that two subjects do two separate actions, you may have a run-on.  Look for the spot where the two clauses collide. 
Fused Sentences
Fused sentences have no punctuation and no conjunctions to join the two clauses together.  The two clauses simply collide.
Ex. Something happens something happens.
Ex. Somebody was something he did something.
Comma Splices
If you find only a comma at the point where the two sentences collide, you have found a comma splice.  (The comma is being used to join two independent clauses together, a task that commas are not able to do.)
    Ex. Something happens, something happens.
    Ex. Somebody did something, somebody did something else.
SKILL #2 How to fix them
You must be able to fix them.
  • Separate them.
  • Coordinate them.
  • Subordinate one of them.
 First, find where the two clauses collide.  Then decide how you want to fix them.
  • Separate them by marking the end of the first sentence with a period (.) and capitalizing the first word of the second sentence.
      • RUN-ON: Jack is a skilled carpenter, he single-handedly built his house.
      FIXED: Jack is a skilled carpenter.  He single-handedly built his house.
  • Coordinate them by marking the end of the first clause with a semicolon (;), but do not capitalize the first word of the second clause.
      • RUN-ON: Jack is a skilled carpenter, he single-handedly built his house.
      FIXED: Jack is a skilled carpenter; he single-handedly built his house
  • Coordinate them by marking the end of the first clause with a semicolon (;) and adding a transitional adverb to smooth out the flow from one clause to the next.
      • RUN-ON: Jack is a skilled carpenter, he single-handedly built his house.
      FIXED: Jack is a skilled carpenter; therefore, he single-handedly built his house
  • Coordinate them by marking the end of the first clause with a comma (,) and adding a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) at the start of the second clause.
      • RUN-ON: Jack is a skilled carpenter, he single-handedly built his house.
      FIXED: Jack is a skilled carpenter, so he single-handedly built his house
  • Subordinate one of the clauses by turning it into a subordinate structure of some kind.  Notice the key words and the commas.  We covereed all these structures in Chapter 16 of our text.
      • RUN-ON: Jack is a skilled carpenter, he single-handedly built his house.
    • Adverb clause

      • FIXED: Because Jack is a skilled carpenter, he single-handedly built his house.
    • Adjective clause

      • FIXED: Jack, who single-handedly built his house, is a skilled carpenter.
    • Appositive

      • FIXED: Jack, a skilled carpenter, single-handedly built his house.
    • Participle phrase

      • FIXED: Jack,.being a skilled carpenter, single-handedly built his house.
    • Absolute phrase

      • RUN-ON: Jack is a skilled carpenter, his hands are rough with callouses.
      FIXED: Jack is a skilled carpenter, his hands rough with callouses.

Answers to Exercises
Click HERE to check your answers for the exercises on identifying fragments and fixing them.

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