Skill Focus – Run-On Sentences

Because your sentence shouldn't feel like it’s sprinting through a marathon with no water breaks or punctuation and then suddenly—crash!

✨ Welcome to the Sentence Safety Zone

You have a lot to say. We love that about you.
But sometimes your sentences get a little too excited...
and forget when to pause
or breathe
or let a thought actually end.

Run-on sentences are what happen when multiple ideas get crammed together without proper punctuation or connectors.
Let’s fix that—without slowing your roll.

🧠 What Is a Run-On Sentence?

A run-on sentence is two or more complete thoughts mashed together without proper punctuation.

❌ “She opened the door he was already standing there the rain was pouring.”
😬 Chaos.

✅ “She opened the door. He was already standing there. The rain poured behind him.”
👏 Ahhh. Space. Rhythm. Clarity.

🛠️ Try This Rewrite Drill

Here’s your practice sentence:

“He left the apartment he didn’t lock the door someone followed him down the stairs.”

Your challenge: break this into at least two complete sentences, or use commas and conjunctions to link them meaningfully.

Need ideas?

  • Use a period to separate ideas.

  • Use a semicolon (sparingly).

  • Use a conjunction like “but,” “and,” or “because.”

💡 Bonus Tip: Spot the Signals

You might be writing a run-on if:

  • Your sentence is longer than 25 words

  • It includes more than one subject-verb combo without punctuation

  • It feels like you’re running out of breath just reading it

Try this: read your paragraph aloud.
If you gasp by the end, it’s probably time to break things up.

💬 Need Help? Ask Quillwyn!

Paste in your sentence and say:

“I think this might be a run-on. Can you help me revise it?”

She’ll help you find the seams and add punctuation that matches your rhythm and mood.