Run-on sentence — English definition
Two complete thoughts jammed together with no punctuation, or joined by only a comma (a comma splice).
Where it is taught
- Grammar & Sentence Structure — Language & Vocabulary, English 6, Grade 6
In use
' The opposite problem is a run-on sentence, where two complete thoughts are jammed together with no punctuation ('The rain stopped everyone went outside') or with only a comma ('The rain stopped, everyone went outside' — this weaker version is called a comma splice).
Grammar & Sentence Structure
Questions using run-on sentence
Problem 1
The following is a run-on sentence. Rewrite it correctly: 'I forgot my umbrella it started to rain on the way home.'
Answer and explanation
A strong answer separates the two complete thoughts correctly, for example: 'I forgot my umbrella, and it started to rain on the way home,' or 'I forgot my umbrella. It started to rain on the way home,' or 'Because I forgot my umbrella, I got soaked when it started to rain.'