Saturday, June 28th, 2008
“I went to the zoo and saw elephants and then I saw a tiger and then we ate lunch and I had pizza and then we watched the penguins and then we saw the seal show and then we went to see the bears and then I saw the monkeys and then we had to go home.”
Have you ever heard a child or an airhead talk like this? The entire story is told as if it is massive run-on sentence. Hearing a sentence like this is bad enough, so imagine how terrible it sounds when reading!
You can’t always write how you speak
We often speak in run-on sentences, although most of us do not do it to the extent of the example above. However, even when we do this, we can still communicate clearly by changing tone or making pauses. In writing, however, the reader can’t hear you. Sometimes a sentence needs to be broken down or restructured.
A very long sentence might be punctuated correctly, but it could be too long to be clearly understood. In these cases, it is better to appropriately break up the long sentence into smaller sentences.
Run, sentence, run!
Just because a sentence is long doesn’t mean it is a run-on sentence. Very short sentences can be run-ons. A run-on sentence has at least two independent clauses that can stand alone. In a run-on, the two clauses have not been properly connected to each other with punctuation.
- Run-on: The grass is tall it needs to be cut.
- Correction: The grass is tall, so it needs to be cut.
Correcting a run-on sentence
If a sentence has two independent clauses without punctuation, you have a run-on sentence. There are several ways to correct the run-on.
Run-on sentence example: The movie lasted for three hours it was amazing.
1. Make each clause its own sentence.
- The movie lasted for three hours. It was amazing.
2. Insert a comma and coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, so) between the two independent clauses.
- The movie lasted for three hours, but it was amazing.
3. Insert a semicolon between the two independent clauses.
- The movie lasted for three hours; it was amazing.
4. Insert a semicolon and a transitional word between the two independent clauses. Transitional words indicate that there is a relationship between the two clauses. Examples include: additionally, consequently, furthermore, however, obviously, therefore, in other words, and meanwhile.
- The movie lasted for three hours; however, it was amazing.
5. Restructure the sentence and use a subordinating conjunction. Subordinating conjunctions join a subordinate clause to the main clause. Examples include: unless, as long as, even though, although, until, while, because, and rather than. If the subordinate clause follows the main clause, a comma will not usually be needed before the subordinate conjunction.
- Although the movie lasted for three hours, it was amazing.
- The movie lasted for three hours because it was amazing.
A close relative
Run-on sentences are similar to comma splices, but since run-ons do not typically have a comma they can be more difficult to notice. A comma splice is when independent clauses are joined together by using only a comma. The ways to correct run-on sentences are very similar to the ways to correct comma splices.
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
What you are about to read has been edited. The following angst-ridden teenage “prose” has been altered to protect the innocent.
Its hard being a teen these days - nobody knows what your going through-nobody cares-and all you have to do is look around to see society crumbling around us-by the way, thanks wal-mart- the middle-class is shrinking and its not cause their moving on up-if your not rich you might as well just feed the rich people you’re babies now cause its what their doing anyway-whats gonna be left when we need social security-yeah thanks to you too baby boomers-but you gotta persevere-fight the good fight-or theyll eat you too-
I had to stop there. I was starting to feel like nobody could understand what I was going through, as I was forced to read through this particular student’s college essay. I remember looking up from the paper to find my wife staring at me with a concerned expression. Even the dog was giving me a funny look. It was more than two years ago, but that essay still makes me cringe.
The student in question had asked me to proofread his college essay. He was hoping to get into a good school out east, maybe even an Ivy, so he could become a professional writer “like Jack Kerouac”. He told me it was a biting piece of social commentary that was certain to impress the folks in admissions—then he handed me a three-page document that was essentially just a longer version of what you see above. I am not exaggerating.
Some of you are probably reading it and wishing you had the opportunity to tell that kid a thing or two about life, but that’s not what bothered me. What bothered me was the way he so brutally and unceremoniously violated one of my favorite punctuation marks, the dash.
I’ll admit, the dash isn’t the easiest punctuation mark to use. Depending on which style manual you consult, the rules do vary—especially if you make a distinction between the “em dash” and the “en dash”. Honestly, I don’t feel that it’s particularly important to differentiate unless you plan on writing at a professional level. It’s mostly a typographical issue, and it’s definitely not something worthy of the extra hour of classroom time that would need to be spent on the subject.
The Rules
The way I teach dash usage is fairly simple. First, a dash is not a hyphen. Hyphens are shorter than dashes, and they’re used to separate syllables and join words. A dash is used to separate words and phrases, or to convey separation in ideas or trains of thought. It’s also important to note that spaces should not be used before and after dashes, except in situations like the notation of a date range.
In general, the dash is a less formal means of punctuation. For that reason, it should be used sparingly, especially in formal writing. On the other hand, it can be a highly effective way to make an impact with your words.
A dash can be used to indicate a significant break in thought.
I could never sell my wife—even for a lot of money!
OR I could never—even for a lot of money—sell my wife!
A dash can take the place of a colon (grammatically, not biologically).
I purchased three different albums last weekend—Don Ho, Liberace’s Greatest Hits, and German Polka Classics.
A dash can be used at the beginning or end of a series separated by commas.
The pirates—Long Beard, Captain Jim, and Peg Leg—were captured off the coast of Spain.
A dash can serve as a high-impact, informal substitute for parentheses.
The sandwiches—two from Subway and two from Quiznos—were tested in a double-blind experiment.
A dash can be used to interrupt one thought with another, related thought.
The ball game is on Friday—the same night as the prom—after the band’s dinner fundraiser.
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
Thank you for stopping by my tiny corner of the web. Ward of Words is my ode to better writing. My goals with this blog are to share my love of writing, to help educate those who are interested in improving their writing, and to have a little fun doing it!
My intention is to tackle a few new blog posts each month. Over time, Ward of Words should become a fabulous resource.
In addition to my obvious love of reading and writing, I’m an avid photographer, gardener, and amateur guitarist. I’m happily married with two beautiful and mostly trouble-free teenage girls.
Currently, my hobbies are focused on taking photographs of orchids and teaching my oldest daughter to drive.