Correcting Run-on Sentences

I’ll bet you don’t even remember being taught about run-on sentences. Well, believe it or not, you probably learned about them before reaching middle school. Despite these early lessons, many people still get in a rush to put thoughts on paper and forget to put appropriate punctuation when joining two independent clauses. Run-on sentences are not necessarily long sentences—they can often be two short clauses that simply aren’t punctuated correctly. In fact, we have discussed in previous articles the need to vary sentence length. This makes it much easier for readers to stay engaged and understand what is being conveyed.

When you’re focused on getting words on the page, it can be easy to jot down two independent clauses, placing a comma in-between. This results in what is called a “comma splice.”

Ways to Fix a Comma Splice

To fix a comma splice, you can separate the clauses using a period, a semicolon, or a conjunction. You may even want to play around with your options before deciding which one works best for you.

Comma splice examples:

• The rain started suddenly as we headed toward the door, we ran inside before we got soaked.
• Laura has been learning more about writing graphic novels, she would like to submit one to a publisher next year.
• The sun was setting when we neared the end of the trail, we hurried back to the clearing to set up our campsite.

Adding a Period

Adding a period between the two clauses shows that the two ideas are distinct, and the relationship between them does not need to be emphasized.

• The rain started suddenly as we headed toward the door. We ran inside before we got soaked.
• Laura has been learning more about writing graphic novels. She would like to submit one to a publisher next year.
• The sun was not yet setting when we neared the end of the trail. We hurried back to the clearing to set up our campsite.

Adding a Semicolon

A semicolon suggests a close link between the two clauses that needs to be accentuated. The word immediately after a semicolon should begin with a lowercase letter.

• The rain started suddenly as we headed toward the door; we ran inside before we got soaked.
• Laura has been learning more about writing graphic novels; she would like to submit one to a publisher next year.
• The sun was not yet setting when we neared the end of the trail; we hurried back to the clearing to set up our campsite.

Adding a Coordinating Conjunction

You can also keep the comma and add a coordination conjunction. This is another way to convey the close relationship between the two clauses.

• The rain started suddenly as we headed toward the door, so we ran inside before we got soaked.
• Laura has been learning more about writing graphic novels, and she would like to submit one to a publisher next year.
• The sun was not yet setting when we neared the end of the trail, but we hurried back to the clearing to set up our campsite.

These are the most common ways to fix a run-on sentence, but you could also consider adding a subordinating conjunction or a conjunctive adverb instead. Other options could be an ellipses or an em dash.

As always, taking the time to review, edit, and revise is worth the time and effort. If you think you’ve read it too many times yourself and you’re beginning to go cross-eyed, have someone else—even an editor—look it over. You and your readers will both be happy that you did.

Heather Malone writes children’s books that focus mainly on Montessori education, special education, and nonfiction. She also dabbles in fiction. Her nonfiction book, Montessori from A to Z, was published in 2023, and her blog on homeschooling students with disabilities using the Montessori method can be viewed at spedmontessorisolutions.com. Her passion is education, which is evidenced by spending over twenty-five years in the field before leaving the classroom to now provide technical assistance to school districts. She lives with her husband and son in Ohio and enjoys traveling to new places in her free time.