3.6: Trouble Spots in Language- Run-on Sentences

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What Is a Run-on Sentence?

Look at the following sentence and answer the questions below.

Canada has a shortage of skilled workers, more women should go into trades.

1. How many clauses can you see? Circle all subjects and underline all predicates.

2. Can each clause exist on its own? Does it make sense without the other clause?

3. Is there any punctuation between the clauses? Are there any conjunctions?

4. Do you think this sentence is correct?

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Look at the following sentence and answer the questions below.

Canada has a shortage of skilled workers, more women should go into trades.

1. How many clauses can you see? Circle all subjects and underline all predicates.

2. Can each clause exist on its own? Does it make sense without the other clause?

3. Is there any punctuation between the clauses? Are there any conjunctions?

4. Do you think this sentence is correct?

Answer

1. There are two clauses. The subjects are bold, and the predicates are underlined.

Canada has a shortage of skilled workers, more women should go into trades.

2. Yes, each clause can exist on its own. Each clause is an independent clause.

3. There is a comma between the clauses. There are no conjunctions.

4. The sentence is not correct. The comma before the second clause is not enough. This is an example of a run-on sentence. We need something different in the box.

How Can We Fix a Run-on Sentence?

Make it into two sentences

Canada has a shortage of skilled workers. More women should go into trades.

Add a conjunction

Canada has a shortage of skilled workers, so more women should go into trades.

You Try It!

Find two different ways to correct each of these sentences.

1. The San Jose mine collapsed on August 5, 2010, 33 miners were trapped.

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2. They tried to escape, the safety ladders were missing.

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3. Rescuers tried to reach them, they were afraid of another collapse.

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4. The miners sent a note to the surface, the rescuers knew they were alive.

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5. The Chilean miners got food through a borehole, they also got letters from their families.

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6. One miner was responsible for medical treatment, another led daily prayers.

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7. They exercised every day, most stayed quite healthy.

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8. Many of the Chilean miners were religious, they did not lose hope.

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9. Engineers built a special capsule, they could bring the men to the surface.

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10. The Chilean miners were underground for 69 days, they all survived.

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