Run-On Sentences

In Episode 49 Grammar Girl explains what a run-on sentence is and the best ways to fix one. A run-on sentence, as explained by Grammar Girl, is also called a fused sentence. It is called that because a run on sentence is just two complete sentences fused together without any conjunctions or internal punctuation. An example of a run on sentence is, “It is almost dinner time we will not finish loading before it gets dark.” Grammar Girl explains that the best way to fix a run-on sentence is to add a coordinating conjunction with a coma, add a period, or add a semicolon.

To fix the run-on in the sentence add a coma and a coordinating conjunction:
It is almost dinner time, and we will not finish loading before it gets dark.

Or, adding a period would break the two sentences up and fix the run-on:
It is almost dinner time. We will not finish loading before it gets dark.

If one wanted to fix the run on but keep the two sentences closely related a semicolon could be inserted between the run-on:
It is almost dinner time; we will not finish loading before it gets dark.

I hope that learning this grammar lesson will keep me from writing run-on sentences because run-on sentences make the world more complicated than it needs to be.