Which term describes two or more sentences joined without correct punctuation or connecting words?

• A. Run-on
• B. Fragment
• C. Comma splice
• D. Independent clause

Answer: (A)

When two independent clauses end up joined without proper punctuation or a connecting word, you get a run-on. Independent clauses can stand alone as sentences, so tying them together without the right punctuation or a coordinating conjunction creates this error. The term run-on covers both fused sentences (no punctuation at all between clauses) and comma splices (a comma connecting two independent clauses without a conjunction). The other terms don’t describe this general problem: a fragment isn’t a complete sentence, and an independent clause is, by definition, a sentence that could stand alone. So the description points to the broader category of a run-on.