Download Understanding Run-On Sentences in Mathematical Writing: Properly Combining Clauses and more Study notes Mathematics in PDF only on Docsity! Math 310 Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning Handout #7: Notes about Run-On Sentences Spring 2006 Mathematical writing seems to be particularly prone to run-on sentence errors. Perhaps this is because of the complexity of the ideas that need to be expressed (although complexity alone does not make a sentence run-on; see below). Perhaps it’s just because people who are writing mathematics often tend to focus more on the mathematical content than the mechanics of communication. In any case, poor mechanics will impede effective communication, so it is worth learning what run-on sentences are and how to avoid them. COMBINING CLAUSES INTO SENTENCES A clause is a part of a sentence that has its own subject and verb, and could stand on its own grammatically as a complete sentence. There are basically only two legitimate ways to combine clauses into a sentence: 1. With a conjunction. There are two main types: • Coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, so, for (meaning “because”), yet (meaning “but”), nor (joining two negative clauses). (If you like acronyms, remember FANBOYS.) These connect clauses of equal status (called independent clauses), which could be broken into two separate sentences without substantially changing the meaning. Usually, but not always, there will be a comma preceding the conjunction. The number x is nonzero, so its square is positive. ← RIGHT The number x is nonzero and its square is positive. ← RIGHT • Subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, because, before, if, since, though, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, while, unless, and until are some of the most common ones. These are used to introduce clauses whose meaning depends on the rest of the sentence (called dependent clauses). The conjunction and the rest of the sentence are essential to understanding what the clause means. Subordinating conjunctions are sometimes accompanied by commas. The square of x is positive because x is nonzero. ← RIGHT The square of x is positive, although x is negative. ← RIGHT A dependent clause (with its subordinating conjunction) can also come before the main clause. In such cases, the dependent clause is always set off by a comma: Because x is nonzero, its square is positive. ← RIGHT Although x is negative, its square is positive. ← RIGHT 2. With a semicolon (;). Two independent clauses can be connected with a semicolon alone. In this case, no conjunction is used. The number x is nonzero; its square is positive. ← RIGHT RUN-ON SENTENCES Any other way of joining two clauses together yields a run-on sentence. Note that whether a sentence is run-on or not has nothing to do with its length or complexity; it depends only on its structure. Here are some common types of run-on sentences:
