A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences incorrectly written as one.
Let’s look at the following example:
Local governments remain the smallest and poorest tier of government in Australia, their circumstances are worsening.
Notice there are two ideas in this text:
1. Local governments remain the smallest and poorest tier of government in Australia.
2. Local governments’ financial circumstances are getting worse.
There is nothing wrong with putting two ideas into a sentence, but you must make the reader aware that you have included two ideas. To do this correctly, join the two ideas together.
1. Use a conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Always put a coma just before the conjunction.
Local governments remain the smallest and poorest tier of government in Australia, and their circumstances are worsening.
2. Use a semi-colon (;)
Local governments remain the smallest and poorest tier of government in Australia; their circumstances are worsening.
3. Write the ideas in two separate sentences.
Local governments remain the smallest and poorest tier of government in Australia. Their financial circumstances are getting worse.
