Here's why:
* Independent clauses are complete sentences with their own subject and verb. They can stand alone.
* Run-on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions.
Examples:
* Incorrect: The cat sat on the mat it looked at the bird. (Run-on sentence)
* Correct: The cat sat on the mat. It looked at the bird. (Two separate sentences)
* Correct: The cat sat on the mat and it looked at the bird. (Conjunction used to join the clauses)
Let me know if you'd like more examples or have specific questions about fixing run-on sentences!