Reading Response - Grammar Girl Episode #49 - Run-On Sentences

Grammar Girl’s episode # 49 is about run-on sentences. She describes a run-on sentence as a sentence that does not have punctuation. A run-on can also be a sentence that is very long, and has improper punctuation. The key in both instances is punctuation. Sentences, she says, should be written out to read the same as how we say them; that is, they should be written with pauses, sighs, exclamations, questions, and they should link ideas together. Punctuation is what gives text its life.

Years ago I was reading James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses, when punctuation finally became demystified. The third part of Ulysses is tens of pages long, but only contains a very small handful of periods. At first I was having trouble keeping track of how the story was flowing. But I slowed down, listened to the rhythm of the punctuation, and began to see what was being described. Each sentence, including some that were pages long, was written using extraordinary punctuation. The idea that Joyce manifests is the rambling process of conscious thought. He displays that even though our inner voices are ceaseless and sometimes droning, they are not monotonous dialogs void of emotion.

James Joyce displays in Ulysses what Grammar Girl suggests in this week’s episode. Long and descriptive sentences are possible, but only with proper punctuation. Proper punctuation keeps thought and emotion cohesive. We should use common sense when we write our sentences, and include punctuation to denote the same sounds and emotions as our thoughts.