Sentences are sometimes like meetings: they never seem to end.
Sure, fill your essay with your amazing thoughts, but don’t let them run together. Besides, longer isn’t always better. Try shorter sentences. Make your point sooner. This also works well in interviews and meetings. (“Is he still talking?”)
The most common type of run-on sentence is the comma splice. It’s like putting two sentences (independent clauses) together:
“I created a client database in Access, the database helped us increase sales by 50%.”
Rule: Avoid comma splices by separating the two independent clauses with a period or a semicolon. You can also use conjunctions such as: and, or, because.
- Option 1: “I created a client database in Access. The database helped us increase sales by 50%.”
- Option 2: “I created a client database in Access, and it helped us increase sales by 50%.”
See where the commas occur in your sentences. Check your essay for sentences that seem to go on forever. Break them into smaller units, or fix any comma splices with conjunctions.
More comma splices.
