Which option fixes the run-on: "The movie was long it was boring."

• A. The movie was long; it was boring.
• B. The movie was long, it was boring.
• C. The movie was long and it was boring.
• D. The movie was long; and it was boring.

Answer: (A)

Two independent clauses are present: “The movie was long” and “it was boring.” When you join them with only a space or a comma, you create a run-on or comma-splice error. The best fix uses a semicolon: “The movie was long; it was boring.” A semicolon directly links the related ideas while keeping each clause complete, so the sentence reads cleanly and correctly.

Using a comma alone would not be correct because it creates a comma splice—two independent thoughts joined by just a comma. Adding a conjunction with a comma—“The movie was long and it was boring”—is also correct, but the semicolon is a tighter, punctuation-only fix that signals a close relationship between the two clauses without adding a connecting word.