MTEL Communication Literacy Skills: Writing Practice Test 2026 – All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Run-on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are improperly connected without adequate punctuation or conjunctions. Independent clauses can stand alone as complete sentences, but when they are linked incorrectly, the result is a run-on sentence, which often causes confusion and disrupts the flow of writing.

In contrast, short sentences that lack detail may not provide enough information, and excessive punctuation could refer to issues like overuse of commas or exclamation points, which are separate from the structural issue of run-ons. While 'sentences that contain run-on thoughts' might seem related, the term 'run-on' specifically refers to the grammatical error of connecting independent clauses improperly rather than the length or flow of thoughts. Therefore, understanding that run-on sentences stem from the mishandling of independent clauses highlights the importance of proper sentence structure in effective writing.