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Glite Dictionary
run-on sentence

run-on sentence

3 4.4
A sentence that joins more than one full idea without proper punctuation or connecting words
  • noun
  • /ˈrʌnˌɑn ˈsɛn.təns/
translation icon : oración sin pausa
  • You might want to review for inappropriate use of apostrophe marks and commas, as well as for run-on sentences.
  • run-on sentences and commas
  • run-on sentences and sentence fragments

It's also time to stop that and the world that's all run on sentence.

Examples

  • Now, to take on the extremely long run-on sentence at the end of the quote.

    Blog text (3)

  • Paragraphs 1 and 2 each have what is known as a run-on sentence.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The man is one long run-on sentence.

    Blog text (30)

  • For Trio A is itself a sort of run-on sentence.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Wow, that was a beautiful run-on sentence, wasn't it?

    Blog text (16)

  • I would also like to say that a comma does not make it okay to use run-on sentences.

    Blog text (9)

  • You might also consider reconstructing your text to include a few periods to reduce the run-on sentences.

    Blog text (10)

  • I am well aware that that was a run-on sentence, containing many errors and probably a few words that don't exist.

    Blog text (18)

  • A few stories were little more than extended run-on sentences, almost stream-of-consciousness retellings.

    Academic text (1994)

  • In her essay, she made several mistakes with run-on sentences that confused the reader.

Antonyms

compound sentence
3.5

A sentence that has two parts that can stand alone joined by a word like and

How Correct

complex sentence
  • Specialized
1 3.5
run-on sentence
3 4.4

Surface Forms

run-on sentence singular
run-on sentences plural

Morphology

run-on + sentence

The meaning is directly compositional: 'run-on' (continuing without a pause) combined with 'sentence' yields a sentence that runs on or continues improperly, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to an overly long or improperly joined sentence. The precise grammatical detail about independent clauses and punctuation is more technical, but the core idea is transparent and follows a common cross-linguistic logic.

Etymology

Run-on sentence comes from the image of words that run on like a road with no stop sign, so the clauses keep going without a period or a joining word. That's why a run-on sentence feels 'confusing' or 'unclear' to readers.