Worksheet for identifying and correcting run-on sentences in grammar exercises.
A worksheet titled "Run-On Sentences" with instructions and seven sentences to identify and correct run-on sentences, featuring a dashed line for writing corrections.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Work on Writing: Run-On Sentences | Worksheet ...
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Work on Writing: Run-On Sentences | Worksheet ...
You’re working on identifying and correcting run-on sentences — sentences that incorrectly join two or more complete thoughts (independent clauses) without proper punctuation or conjunctions.
Let’s go through each sentence one by one, identify if it’s a run-on, and then correct it.
---
A run-on sentence joins two or more independent clauses (complete sentences) without appropriate punctuation or conjunctions. For example:
> ✘ *I ate dinner it was good.*
> ✔ *I ate dinner. It was good.*
> ✔ *I ate dinner, and it was good.*
---
## 📝 Solutions:
---
→ Run-on — Two complete thoughts: “Fred said we should go” and “I don’t think so.”
✔ Corrected:
Fred said we should go. I don’t think so.
*(You could also use a semicolon or add “but”: “Fred said we should go, but I don’t think so.” — but since the directions say to write as two complete sentences, splitting with a period is best.)*
---
→ Run-on — Two thoughts: “My skateboard is broken” and “its works much better.”
⚠️ Also note: “its” should be “it’s” (contraction of “it is”).
✔ Corrected:
My skateboard is broken. It’s working much better.
*(“works” → “working” sounds more natural here; otherwise, “It works much better” implies it’s currently working well despite being broken — which is contradictory. So “working” makes sense as a correction for logic.)*
If you want to keep “works,” you might say:
My skateboard is broken. But it works much better now. — but again, the instruction says to split into two complete sentences, so we’ll stick with:
✔ My skateboard is broken. It works much better. *(if you ignore the logical contradiction)*
OR better yet:
✔ My skateboard is broken. It’s working much better.
*(Since “it’s working” implies improvement despite damage, which is plausible.)*
---
→ Run-on — Two thoughts: “Our game finished early” and “we went to watch Tom’s.”
✔ Corrected:
Our game finished early. We went to watch Tom’s.
*(Note: “Tom’s” likely means “Tom’s game” or “Tom’s team” — contextually acceptable.)*
---
→ NOT a run-on! — This is one complete sentence. The second part (“because we had the day off”) is a dependent clause — it cannot stand alone.
✔ Write: Complete
---
→ Run-on — Two independent clauses.
✔ Corrected:
The lunch line was long. We had to wait for 30 minutes.
---
→ NOT a run-on! — “when Jamie and Evan stopped by” is a dependent clause. The whole thing is one sentence with a subordinating conjunction (“when”).
✔ Write: Complete
---
→ Run-on — Two independent clauses improperly joined. The comma after “park” is not enough — this is a comma splice.
✔ Corrected:
We walked to the park. By the time we arrived, it was dark.
*(Alternatively: “We walked to the park; by the time we arrived, it was dark.” — but again, instructions say to write as two complete sentences.)*
---
## ✍️ Final Answers:
1. Fred said we should go. I don’t think so.
2. My skateboard is broken. It’s working much better. *(or “It works much better.” if keeping original verb form)*
3. Our game finished early. We went to watch Tom’s.
4. Complete
5. The lunch line was long. We had to wait for 30 minutes.
6. Complete
7. We walked to the park. By the time we arrived, it was dark.
---
## 💡 Tips for Next Time:
- Look for two subjects + two verbs — that often signals two independent clauses.
- If you see a comma joining two full sentences, it’s likely a comma splice (a type of run-on).
- Always ask: “Can each part stand alone as a sentence?” If yes → it’s a run-on.
Let me know if you’d like to rewrite any with conjunctions or semicolons instead!
Let’s go through each sentence one by one, identify if it’s a run-on, and then correct it.
---
✔ What is a Run-On Sentence?
A run-on sentence joins two or more independent clauses (complete sentences) without appropriate punctuation or conjunctions. For example:
> ✘ *I ate dinner it was good.*
> ✔ *I ate dinner. It was good.*
> ✔ *I ate dinner, and it was good.*
---
## 📝 Solutions:
---
1. Fred said we should go I don’t think so.
→ Run-on — Two complete thoughts: “Fred said we should go” and “I don’t think so.”
✔ Corrected:
Fred said we should go. I don’t think so.
*(You could also use a semicolon or add “but”: “Fred said we should go, but I don’t think so.” — but since the directions say to write as two complete sentences, splitting with a period is best.)*
---
2. My skateboard is broken its works much better.
→ Run-on — Two thoughts: “My skateboard is broken” and “its works much better.”
⚠️ Also note: “its” should be “it’s” (contraction of “it is”).
✔ Corrected:
My skateboard is broken. It’s working much better.
*(“works” → “working” sounds more natural here; otherwise, “It works much better” implies it’s currently working well despite being broken — which is contradictory. So “working” makes sense as a correction for logic.)*
If you want to keep “works,” you might say:
My skateboard is broken. But it works much better now. — but again, the instruction says to split into two complete sentences, so we’ll stick with:
✔ My skateboard is broken. It works much better. *(if you ignore the logical contradiction)*
OR better yet:
✔ My skateboard is broken. It’s working much better.
*(Since “it’s working” implies improvement despite damage, which is plausible.)*
---
3. Our game finished early we went to watch Tom’s.
→ Run-on — Two thoughts: “Our game finished early” and “we went to watch Tom’s.”
✔ Corrected:
Our game finished early. We went to watch Tom’s.
*(Note: “Tom’s” likely means “Tom’s game” or “Tom’s team” — contextually acceptable.)*
---
4. We went fishing because we had the day off.
→ NOT a run-on! — This is one complete sentence. The second part (“because we had the day off”) is a dependent clause — it cannot stand alone.
✔ Write: Complete
---
5. The lunch line was long we had to wait for 30 minutes.
→ Run-on — Two independent clauses.
✔ Corrected:
The lunch line was long. We had to wait for 30 minutes.
---
6. I was listening to music when Jamie and Evan stopped by.
→ NOT a run-on! — “when Jamie and Evan stopped by” is a dependent clause. The whole thing is one sentence with a subordinating conjunction (“when”).
✔ Write: Complete
---
7. We walked to the park by the time we arrived, it was dark.
→ Run-on — Two independent clauses improperly joined. The comma after “park” is not enough — this is a comma splice.
✔ Corrected:
We walked to the park. By the time we arrived, it was dark.
*(Alternatively: “We walked to the park; by the time we arrived, it was dark.” — but again, instructions say to write as two complete sentences.)*
---
## ✍️ Final Answers:
1. Fred said we should go. I don’t think so.
2. My skateboard is broken. It’s working much better. *(or “It works much better.” if keeping original verb form)*
3. Our game finished early. We went to watch Tom’s.
4. Complete
5. The lunch line was long. We had to wait for 30 minutes.
6. Complete
7. We walked to the park. By the time we arrived, it was dark.
---
## 💡 Tips for Next Time:
- Look for two subjects + two verbs — that often signals two independent clauses.
- If you see a comma joining two full sentences, it’s likely a comma splice (a type of run-on).
- Always ask: “Can each part stand alone as a sentence?” If yes → it’s a run-on.
Let me know if you’d like to rewrite any with conjunctions or semicolons instead!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of run on sentence worksheet answer key.
