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Run-On Sentence Surgery

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Run-On Sentence Surgery

A complete idea has a subject and a verb and can stand as a sentence. When two complete ideas are joined without the right punctuation or connecting word, the result is a run-on. A comma by itself cannot join two complete sentences. Use a full stop, a suitable conjunction, or a semicolon to make the meaning clear.

Full-stop fixes

Rewrite each run-on as two sentences. Add capital letters and full stops where needed.

1.The kererū landed on the fence it shook rain from its feathers.

2.Talia switched on the torch the path was still dark.

3.The class made paper kites a breeze carried them across the field.

4.I checked my maths answers I had missed one question.

Connect the ideas

Join each pair with a suitable conjunction. Add any punctuation needed. Conjunctions you might use include and, but, so, because, although and while.

5.The tide was high we chose a different beach entrance.

6.Amira had practised her speech she still felt shy.

7.We brought a picnic blanket the grass was damp.

8.The bus waited at the stop the passengers climbed aboard.

9.The clouds parted the moon appeared above the hills.

Choose a repair

For each run-on, write two different clear repairs. You may use full stops, a conjunction, or a semicolon where it fits.

10.The museum doors opened we hurried inside to see the fossils.

11.Mere practised her guitar each evening she learned the new song.

12.The lights went out everyone stayed calm.

13.Finn filled the garden pots the seedlings needed room to grow.

Find the boundaries

Add slashes to show where each complete idea ends. Then rewrite the paragraph as clear sentences.

14.The new playground opened on Friday children tested the climbing frame a local artist painted a bright mural families stayed until sunset.

Make a short news update

Turn the run-on into a clear three-sentence news update. Keep the important details and use correct sentence boundaries.

15.The school chess team won the regional tournament supporters clapped from the hall the players thanked their families.

Which repair works best?

Read both versions. Choose the one that makes the relationship between the ideas clearest, then explain why.

16.Run-on: The river rose overnight the walking track was closed. A. The river rose overnight. The walking track was closed. B. The river rose overnight, so the walking track was closed. Which version is more effective here? Explain your choice.

17.Write an original run-on with two complete ideas. Then repair it in two different ways.