You can run on, but you can't hide

Perhaps it's because we have a lot to say that we're eager to share. For whatever reason, I'm seeing a lot of run-on sentences in the content that I review and revise for clients. Let's take a moment to learn about run-on sentences and how to avoid or correct them.

A run-on sentence doesn't know when to quit. It is free of proper punctuation and often contains two or three sentences that by rights should stand alone.

Example of a run-on sentence:
The house in Cambridge has four bedrooms you can take a virtual tour on our site.
There are two sentences (independent clauses) here.

Correct usage:
The house in Cambridge has four bedrooms. You can take a virtual tour on our site.

How can you tell when to stop? When the subject of the sentence changes, it's usually a pretty good indication that you've started a new sentence. We go from talking about "the program" to "you." Each sentence is an independent clause with its own subject and verb.

Comma splicing
So, you've been caught red-handed. You're guilty of running on. Thinking fast on your feet, you decide to use a comma to fix it. Surely a comma between the two sentences will make things right. WRONG! Rarely does a comma fix a run-on sentence.

Example of comma splicing to fix a run-on sentence:
Houses in that neighborhood are not cheap, you need at least two incomes to live there!
This merely indicates that you knew you had a problem, but you weren't sure about how to fix it. A comma is really a substitute for the word "and," so all you've done here is add a word to your run-on.

Damn the semicolon! This calls for a period
You could use a semicolon to correct a run-on sentence, but let's face it - a semicolon is something only academics should be using. In business writing, it's better to be concise and coherent. That means making each independent thought (in this case a clause or sentence) have time to be digested on its own merits by the reader.

Think about your company slogan. You wouldn't dare have a slogan that reads:
Coke's the real deal; Drink It!
It's too formal and silly looking.

Remember, run-on sentences are like hyper children. They've gone a bit wrong and you need to give each child his or her own space. So, separate them with the strongest punctuation mark in your arsenal - the period.

If it sounds like a run-on and looks like a run-on, it probably is a run-on sentence
The following is NOT a run-on sentence, but you sure would think it is.

"Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious. "
- Simone from "Ferris Buellers' Day Off"

Sometimes sentences can be long, meandering things that seem to go on forever. That doesn't mean they are a run-on sentence. However, if a sentence is so long that you have trouble reading it, you should shorten it if at all possible. If the reader can't get the meaning out of each sentence you write, you have failed.

So, that's the lesson for today. Now, run on you crazy kids!