Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and here’s a reason why you might not want to use run-on sentences. In the latest episode of the Grammar Hall of Shame, we have a sign that reads: HUNTERS, PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN HUNTING PEDESTRIANS USING WALK TRAILS. Don’t even get me started on how “walk” isn’t in its adjective form here, and “walk trails” is actually some kind of weird verb phrase. Instead, let’s focus on the important piece: the fact that there is no punctuation separating WHEN HUNTING and PEDESTRIANS. This sentence, of course, means that hunters are hunting pedestrians [screams] but it’s supposed to be a warning for the hunters to look out for pedestrians who happen to be on the trails. That, folks, is what periods and commas are for. Use them. Liberally. Don’t hunt pedestrians.
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