Run-on sentences do just what the words say: they "run on," from one independent clause to another, without the necessary punctuation or coordinating conjunction that signals the reader how, or whether, they're related. Follow these three steps to find and fix run-ons:

1. Does the sentence contain more than one independent clause? Independent clauses are like mini-sentences, because they can stand alone as grammatically complete expressions. Subordinate clauses cannot stand by themselves; they require an independent clause to form a sentence.

   Two independent clauses in run-on sentence:
   I cannot remain silent any longer, the roads have become clogged with bicyclists.

   Subordinate clause in correct sentence:
   Although more commuters are using bicycles,
   there are still too many cars downtown.

2. Draw an imaginary line between the independent clauses.

   I cannot remain silent any longer, | the roads have become clogged with bicyclists.

3. Fix the run-on in one of these ways:

   1. Separate the independent clauses with a period or a semicolon.

      I cannot remain silent any longer; the roads have become clogged with bicyclists.

   2. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction: and, or, nor, because, but, for, so, yet.

      I cannot remain silent any longer, for the roads have become clogged with bicyclists.

   Remember: Independent clauses are mini-sentences: they can stand alone as grammatically complete units. If two or more are of them are smuggled into the same sentence with no punctuation between them, they must be broken apart in one of the ways described above.

   
   
   

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