Recent surveys indicate that over 65% of writers say learning to identify and fix run-on sentences and fragments improved the clarity of their work.

Clarity in writing a book, article, or blog post is essential for keeping readers engaged. One issue that often undermines clarity is run-on sentences and fragmented sentences - these problems may cause readers to become confused while disrupting your flow and making your message less effective - making knowing how to identify and address these problems important to improving writing skills.

This post will guide you through recognizing and correcting run-on sentences and fragments - two common writing challenges - so your writing remains engaging for readers while staying true to its message. By learning these techniques, your work can remain as clear and engaging as possible ensuring they stay informed while also entertained.

Book editing services in USA provide invaluable assistance for authors, publishers, and writers looking to polish their manuscripts; but understanding some basic methods for correcting common errors will allow you to be your own editor more independently.

What Are Run-On Sentences?

Writers often commit the error of writing run-on sentences when they connect two or more independent clauses improperly without using punctuation or conjunctions for proper separation between each clause containing subject and verb elements; when this occurs it creates run-on sentences which makes writing confusingly long sentences without clear meaning for readers and writers alike.

Run-on sentences make sentences harder to read and may confuse readers, who must exert extra effort to understand where one idea ends and another begins. By identifying and correcting these passages, writing will become clearer and more legible for readers. If you struggle with spotting run-on sentences, professional book editing services can help ensure your writing flows smoothly, making it easier for your audience to engage with your work.

What Are Sentence Fragments?

A sentence fragment, however, refers to any group of words that resembles a complete thought but doesn't quite meet that standard. Fragments typically form when an essential piece is missing such as a subject, verb, or both elements in its construction - thus creating incomplete thoughts that lack complete meaning and understanding.

Fragmented sentences often leave readers scratching their heads about what happened because "Because I Was Tired". A fragment doesn't make complete sense on its own and leaves readers puzzled and wondering about its contents.

Fragments are common in formal and creative writing alike, often being intentionally included for effect; they should typically be corrected for clarity to ensure maximum comprehension by readers.

How to Identify Run-On Sentences?

Identification of run-on sentences is integral for improving clarity and flow in writing and communicating ideas effectively.

Look for Two Independent Clauses Joined Without Proper Punctuation

A telltale sign of a run-on sentence is two independent clauses joined together without proper punctuation - like when two complete thoughts run together without being connected by any conjunctions or punctuation marks; such as in "She Went To The Store She Forgot Her Wallet." Here you have two independent clauses connected incorrectly forming one complete thought - indicative of run-on sentence construction.

Identify Comma Splices

One common form of run-on language is known as a comma splice, in which two independent clauses are joined with only a comma between them - which should never occur, because its connection between clauses alone cannot be strong enough to separate two ideas and can even cause run-on sentences such as, "I wanted pizza but didn't have enough money", to form. Such instances must be rectified with either period/semicolon/conjunction to fix.

Watch for Fused Sentences

A fused sentence occurs when there is no punctuation whatsoever between independent clauses in an independent clause sentence - for instance: "I love writing but don't always have time." As there's no punctuation separating these ideas, reading this makes the sentence harder to follow and needs additional punctuation to clearly separate its components. Punctuating each clause separately would ensure its clarity.

Check for Overly Long Sentences

Run-on sentences may not always be readily evident; they often become evident only when sentences grow too long and complex, with multiple ideas difficult to disentangle within their confines. In such instances, shorter versions would help maintain clarity for readers. It's best to break long sentences up into multiple shorter ones for greater understanding.

How to Identify Sentence Fragments

Recognizing sentence fragments is key to strengthening your writing's structure and making sure each idea is fully expressed and coherent.

Look for Missing Subjects or Verbs

Fragments often form when essential elements, like subjects and verbs, are missing from sentences; without this key content a fragment cannot function independently as a sentence; for example: "Went to the store" would constitute such a fragment due to lack an integral subject: I went to the store." To complete it with one such as this subject: I went to the store

Spot Dependent Clauses Without an Independent Clause

Another effective method to identify fragments is recognizing dependent clauses left hanging, like when "Because I Was Tired..." is left without its associated independent clause; to complete its thought e.g. "Because I Was Tired, I Decided To Rest...."

Find Incomplete Thoughts or Ideas

Fragments may also result from incomplete thoughts and ideas that remain incompletely developed, for instance: "The cat under the table" does not convey any meaningful meaning - to address this situation further information can help - such as "The cat was sleeping".

Identify Phrases That Don’t Function as Sentences

There can be instances in which phrases that don't technically qualify as sentences may be mistaken as such, with phrases like "in the morning" or "after the meeting" often misconstrued as complete thoughts; to make sense they need to be linked up to form complete sentences that make more sense than their individual parts alone.

Fixing Run-On Sentences

Fixing run-on sentences is crucial to improving sentence clarity and making sure that writing flows logically and smoothly.

Separate the Sentences with a Period

One easy and straightforward solution for fixing run-on sentences is breaking them up into individual clauses using periods. For instance, "I enjoy reading but sometimes don't have time" would become: "I enjoy reading but sometimes don't have the time" This provides clarity while making ideas easier to grasp.

Use a Coordinating Conjunction

Coordinating conjunction, like and, but or, is used to connect two independent clauses within one sentence - it can help break up run-on sentences like, for instance: "I wanted to go hiking, but the weather wasn't great". Conjunction clearly joins these ideas while keeping them separate at once.

Employ a Semicolon

One way of connecting independent clauses effectively is using a semicolon. This punctuation mark can help bring two related statements closer together without creating disjunctures between ideas - for instance: "I wanted to go to the park; it was closed". Using this punctuation mark provides a clean separation without making either seem disjoint.

Use Transitional Words and Phrases

Utilizing transitional words like however, therefore or as a result can help unify two separate clauses into an elegantly flowing sentence - for instance: I keep a busy schedule; however I always make time for my hobbies." For instance: "Despite a busy schedule I still manage to make time for hobbies."

Simplify Complex Sentences

Whilst complex sentences may appear run-on at first glance, often their best solution lies in simplifying them further. If a sentence contains too many ideas that don't make sense when combined together into one phrase or sentence it might help to break up and simplify into smaller, clearer statements for easy readability and readability purposes.

Fix Sentence Fragments

Fixing sentence fragments is key for crafting complete thoughts, and increasing the coherence and impact of writing.

Add Missing Subjects or Verbs

A simple way to fix fragmented sentences is by adding the missing subjects or verbs; for instance "Walking to the store" can be corrected by inserting "She was walking to the store".

Combine with an Adjacent Sentence

If the fragment forms part of a greater idea, you may be able to combine it with its adjacent sentence to complete its meaning. For instance: "I love reading after a long day." can be corrected by joining both parts into one sentence.

Attach Dependent Clauses to Independent Clauses

To form complete sentences, connect any fragment that includes dependent clauses to independent clauses by adding one (for instance: when "I was younger", add this clause: When "I loved playing outside")

Revise the Fragment into a Complete Sentence

A fragment can also be revised into a complete sentence by adding necessary components - for instance "at the store" could become "I went to the store."

Recheck for Clarity and Flow

After eliminating fragments, always read over each sentence again to ensure clarity and flow. Even when grammar rules have been strictly observed, awkward or unclear sentences may still remain unclear to readers; professional book structure and formatting services offer invaluable assistance here by providing feedback that enhances clarity and readability.

Conclusion

Proper sentence structure is key to effectively communicating your message through writing. Understanding run-on sentences and fragments - as well as ways to fix them - and using this knowledge to compose clearer, more engaging sentences will result in clearer writing that has more of an impactful tone than before. 

Taking time out to revise and edit can have a massive effect on how readers react to your work. If you're looking for professional support, a book editing and publishing company can help refine your writing, ensuring that your sentences flow seamlessly and make the desired impact.