New Page 3

Klariti Home Page

Download Templates Online

About Us Free Tools Tips Templates Affiliates Site Map

MS Word template

MS Word Business Proposal Template - Instant Download
Download Now!


The Run-on Sentence: From Here To Eternity

by: Jean Fritz

If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they wend from one topic to another, then you, like many people, may be guilty of writing run-on sentences.

The run-on sentence is annoying. The run-on is boring. Most important, utilizing run-ons in your work is a sure-fire way of losing your reader.

The run-on works in one instance – if it is part of one of your character’s personality. For instance, if you are writing dialogue spoken by a typical teenage girl, run-ons would be acceptable (“Well, we went, you know, to the mall, and, like, we tried on some clothes and makeup, and then Sheila saw this really cute guy in The Gap, so we went over and like, started talking, and ...” you get the picture.)

Organized subtopics

Curing a mania for run-ons may be a simple as implementing an outline for your work. Break each topic down into logical, organized subtopics and details. Relegate each thought to a single sentence. When a topic or subtopic requires further discussion, create unique sentences containing each of these details (or group related details) after your lead-in sentence.

If your topic ultimately branches out to other major topics, reference those topics in your initial paragraph, but address them in other paragraphs (or chapters.)

This acts as a “teaser” to your audience, leaves them wanting more, and motivates them to read on.

These instructions sound like high school stuff, but I recently edited a college-level text written by a Ph D that was fraught with run-ons. The subject matter was economics. The combination was deadly from the standpoint of maintaining consciousness. So for the sake of your readers, form a working relationship with semicolons and periods, and leave run-ons to the Valley Girls.

About the Author

Jean Fritz is the owner and chief editor for JMT Publications (http://jmtpubs.tripod.com), a company specializing in helping self-publishing authors get into print. For more information on self-publication or to subscribe to her free newsletter, Writers' Notes, visit the JMT Publications website. jeantype@excite.com


Biz Templates: Proposal Template  Project Management  Employee Handbook  Procedures Business Case Process Design

IT Templates: Software Development  Testing Templates  Training Plan  User Guide Change Management Plan

Sales Templates: White Paper Case Study Business Plan Marketing Plan Cost Benefit Analysis Action Plan

$ 9.99: Acceptance Test Plan  Design Document  Requirements  Test Plan  Feasibility Study Risk Management Plan


Ads

Follow me on Twitter  Facebook  YouTube

T e m p l a t e   S h o p


Software Development Templates

T e m p l a t e   S h o p

Acceptance Test Plan

Acquisition Plan

Action Plan

Audience Analysis

Availability Plan

Bill of Materials Template

Business Case

Business Continuity Plan

Business Plan

Business Process Design

Business Requirements

Business Rules

Capacity Plan

Case Study Templates

Change Management Plan

Communication Plan

Concept Proposal

Configuration Management Plan

Conversion Plan

Concept of Operations

Cost Benefit Analysis

Data Sheet Template

Database Design Document

Deployment Plan

Design Document

Disaster Recovery

Documentation Plan

Employee Handbook

Error Message Guide

Expression of Interest

Fact Sheet Template

Feasibility Study

FAQ Template

Functional Requirements

Grant Template

Installation Plan

Interface Control Document

Invitation To Tender

Maintenance Plan

Marketing Plan

Needs Statement

Operations Guide

Policy Manual

Project Management

Project Plan

Proposal Template

Proposal Forms and Checklists

Request For Proposal

Release Notes

Risk Management Plan

Service Level Agreement

Setup Guide

Statement of Work

Software Development Templates

Software Testing (QA) Templates

Software Requirements Specification

Standard Operating Procedure

System Admin Guide

System Boundary Document

System Design

System Specifications

Security Plan

Test Plan

Technical Writing Templates

Training Plan

Transition Plan

User Guide Template

Use Case Templates

Verification Plan

White Paper Templates

How to Write

Business Documents

Case Studies

Grants Applications

Process Design

Proposals and RFPs

Project Management

Technical Documents & FrameMaker

White Papers

Writing for the Web

Business Process Templates
Project Management Templates

Standard Operating Procedures

Employee Handbook

Policy Manual

Grant Proposal

Training Plan

Statement of Work

Sponsors
 

 



Forms, Checklists, & Templates - Updated Daily

I'm Ivan Walsh, the person behind this site. I help people improve how they write, publish and extend their business assets.

You can email me here or connect with me at Twitter @ivanwalsh, Disqus, Facebook, LinkedIn, Delicious & Google.

Endorsements | About Us | Contact Us | Site Map | Privacy| License | T&Cs | FAQs | Klariti

^^^ Return to top of page ^^^