PACT Writing 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined improperly without appropriate punctuation or conjunctions. Using a semicolon is an effective method for correcting a run-on error because a semicolon serves to connect closely related independent clauses, signaling a pause that is stronger than a comma but not as final as a period. For example, in the sentence "I love to read I have many books," replacing the comma with a semicolon creates a clearer separation between the two complete ideas: "I love to read; I have many books."

The other methods listed may not effectively address the issue of run-on sentences. A comma alone would not provide sufficient separation between the clauses, leading to a comma splice rather than a correction. Changing the sentence to a question could alter its meaning entirely, and removing the subject would likely make the sentence unclear or grammatically incorrect. Thus, using a semicolon is the most appropriate solution for correcting a run-on sentence.