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run-on sentence

Two independent clauses jammed together without the punctuation they need.

A run-on sentence joins two independent clauses without correct punctuation between them. A first-degree run-on has nothing at all between the clauses (most handbooks call this a fused sentence); a second-degree run-on has a coordinating conjunction but is missing the comma that belongs in front of it.

Examples

  • I left she stayed. (first-degree, a fused sentence)

  • The flight was delayed for hours so we missed the meeting. (second-degree, missing the comma)

See also

independent clause coordinating conjunction comma splice
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