You've assigned your students a writing prompt, but when you check on their writing process, you see the following: missing punctuation, no capitalization, and a jumble of words in need of organization! It's time to stop run-on sentences in their tracks! Let's dive into some tips and tricks to help you when teaching run on sentences.

2nd graders are brimming with creative ideas to use in their writing. Maybe your students are so excited to write, they just can't wait to get their ideas on the page. Or maybe they detest writing and are trying to get the writing assignment done as quickly as possible so they can move on to another task. Or maybe they just need a little extra help with editing and revising their work. Whatever the reason, we've got a list of tips and activities for teaching run on sentences.

What is a Run-on Sentence?

A run-on sentence is two or more clauses (groups of words that express a thought) put together.

Run-on sentence example: I went to the beach with my family it was so much fun.

How to Teach Fixing a Run-on Sentence?

Teaching run on sentences can be accomplished in three easy ways:

1. Add punctuation between the clauses to make separate sentences.

Example: I went to the beach with my family. It was so much fun.

2. Add a conjunction to the sentence. Some common conjunctions that 2nd graders should already be able to use are: and, if, but, or, for, because, if, when

Example: We swam in the ocean but it was so cold!

3. Use a comma to separate items in a list.

Example: I like to run, swim, and play at the beach.

Five Mini-Lessons to Fix Run-On Sentences

Our Grammar Day By Day is an amazing resource for all things grammar! Here you will find a full week's worth of worksheets on run-on sentences. These grammar sheets can be used as part of a mini-lesson, whole group instruction, independent practice, homework, grammar centers, and more!

Check out some activities from Grammar Day by Day for practice with finding and fixing run-on sentences:

1. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

Read the list of sentences to your students. Students will give a thumbs up for a complete sentence, or a thumbs down for a run-on sentence. Record their answers on the recording sheet for extra practice.

2. Color Coding Sentences

Students will read each sentence in a reading passage. Underline complete sentences in one color, and run on sentences in another color. For extra practice, have students rewrite or dictate how they would change the run-on sentences to make it a complete sentence.

3. Complete sentence picture cards

Give each student a picture card. Have them write a complete sentence about what they see in the picture. This would make a great morning warm-up activity.

4. Sentence Rewrite

Give each student a run-on sentence. Have them rewrite the sentence to make it a complete sentence. Use the anchor chart as a guide.

5. Punctuation Practice

Give each student an un-punctuated paragraph. Students will add the proper punctuation to make complete sentences. Check out this blog post for more ideas on how to teach editing and revising to second graders.

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Use Spiral Review to Fix Run-on Sentences

Review key skills with ELA spiral review. With quick and easy activities for students to complete each day, grammar review is a breeze. In this worksheet set, students will circle the correct conjunction to fix the run-on sentence. This activity is great on its own as independent practice, or can be done whole group, or in small group intervention.

You can check out our whole list of spiral ELA skills by scrolling to the bottom of this post, or click below to learn more about Spiral ELA for first and second grade.

Play Red Light, Green Light Grammar Center

Beep beep! Expert editors, coming through! Students will have fun practicing their editing skills with the Red Light, Green Light Game from the 2nd Grade Grammar Centers. Choose a card, read the sentence and decide if it gets a “green light” (use a conjunction to improve the sentence) or a “red light” (use punctuation to create two sentences). For extra practice or assessment, students can rewrite the sentence on the recording sheet.

Use Sentence Scrambles

Students love to use sentence scramble centers! Sentence Scrambles is an easy activity to prep and implement. Students will use the sentence word cards to create a new sentence. The tactile cards are great for all learners, as students learn to manipulate the words to create a complete sentence.

Lucky to Learn Writing

If you want a writing curriculum that consistently teaches grammar, editing, revising, and expanding sentences, check out Lucky to Learn Writing. It will be like having our team in your pocket all year…we even guide you with video lessons! Sneak a peek at this curriculum below.

Ask Your Colleagues!

Our insightful and inspiring Facebook community of 2nd grade teachers has done it again! Check out our post with a round up of the best tips for teaching sentence writing.