Example:
I don't lit up everything around me, I just like to be in the spotlight.
I think this is called trailing comma or something like that. Is it grammatically correct?
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1No, it's not grammatically "correct" according to some "rules". However, so-called "run-on" sentences are written and spoken all day, every day, wherever English is written or spoken, because people don't keep a grammar book close at hand as they go through their day. Avoid the "run-on" sentence in formal or adacemic writing, but don't give it a thought beyond that.– P. E. Dant Reinstate MonicaCommented Jun 23, 2017 at 4:40
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To create a compound sentence you could use a ";"(semicolon) as your conjunction.– PeterCommented Jun 23, 2017 at 8:30
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1 Answer
No, those are two separate sentences. There should be a period after "me".
Also, it should be "I do not light up...". If the past imperfect tense was wanted, then it would still be "I did not light up...". You would only use "lit" if there was no helper verb and it was the past tense: "I lit up everything...".
If you have a follow-on idea, sometimes a semicolon can be used. For example:
I don't light up everything around me; darkness prevails.
but with a complete thought a period should be used:
I don't light up everything around me. In fact, darkness prevails.
To rework your sentence to use a semicolon:
I don't light up everything around me; just have the spotlight.
The semicolon is used when the secondary part is a separate, but partial or incomplete thought that cannot stand alone without the first part of the sentence.
