Avoiding common writing mistakes: Run-on sentences by B. B. James

[OIPWHR-M.T.]

While other postings give excellent information about how to recognize a run-on sentence, I will focus on a few techniques to eliminate them from your writing. These will not only help you with run-ons, but will improve your writing in many other ways, too.First, it's perfectly acceptable to begin a writing project by typing as much stream-of-consciousness material as possible. This might lead to run-ons, but at least you get your primary ideas onto the screen, from which you can begin to fashion a more polished text.With this blast of text available as the raw material, the real work begins. You need to edit your article at least once (preferably several times), with an eye towards fixing things like run-ons. To edit for stylistic improvement, you must go through phrase-by-phrase and sentence-by-sentence to decide whether you have made your point clearly and succinctly. This is how you eliminate run-ons.In this editing process, read each sentence with a "fresh" perspective. Step back from the words, so to speak, and see if each sentence contains more than one action or thought. If it does, then consider chopping the sentence into multiple sentences. If the thoughts are closely related, then use punctuation to separate the thoughts. Commas are the most common punctuation form because they are the least disruptive to the reader. Use semi-colons, colons, dashes, or elipses (...) only when you are making a very strong point.This editing process should clean up the obvious run-ons.To further refine your writing, you should read your next draft aloud. Anywhere that you would naturally pause in your speech, you should probably have punctuation. Often you will notice that at those pause points, you would actually use more words in speech to help with the transitions, or you would change the phrase slightly. Those also are signals that you need punctuation to help the reader understand that a transition is occurring. In verbal communications, we use pauses and transitional phrases; in writing we use punctuation (often in combination with transitional phrases).Example. "Johnny walked to school passing the graveyard on Maple Street where the big kids told him ghosts come out on Halloween." This sentence needs punctuation, such as: "Johnny walked to school, passing the graveyard on Maple Street, where big kids told him ghosts come out on Halloween."There is no alternative route for improving your writing than editing and re-editing. It's a hard task. But it's worth it, if you have ideas and information that you wish to share with people.SOURCE:http://www.helium.com/items/198436-rooting-out-run-on-sentences