Run on sentence

Question

Hi,

I am not sure if the sentence is correct.

Last time we met it had to do with keys.

I think it is not a complete sentence since there is no subordinate conjunction like when, since, etc.

How about this sentence i found from a English book.

"Look, we are two people who know each other fairly well and last time we met it had to do with key."

is the sentence a run on sentence? Or is it because there is "and" in front of the "last time" which makes the sentence a complete sentence.

Thanks,

Ryan

Dimsumexpress · Accepted Answer

Ryan,

clee62Hi,

Last time we met it had to do with keys.
I think it is not a complete sentence since there is no subordinate conjunction like when, since, etc.

Ryan

I have a little trouble relating to the orange bold part in reference to " the last time we met ". The reason it didn't seem like a complete sentence is because usually, when we talk about a specific time, we'd naturally refer it to an event, rarely an item, unless we qualify that item in the context. If it were " you were trying to retrieve your keys.." then it will be a complete sentence without using a conjunction.

So I am going to think out loud to try to make some sense with your sentence (without using a conjunctive word ) and see if they work for you.

If I remember right, the last time we met:
1) it had something to with your keys....Oh yeah, you'd accidentally dropped them into the storm drain while standing at the cross walk.

2) it was raining and you had the keys in your hand which you accidentally dropped into the storm drain.

Does it work for you?

CalifJim · Answer

clee62Last time we met it had to do with keys.

The sentence is correct, but it may seem incomplete because it lacks a supporting narrative to make it seem sensible. For example, without more context there is no way to determine what "it" is in the expression "it had to do with ...".

As an isolated sentence, you might want to recast it thus:

The last time we met we talked about keys.
The last time we met we discussed keys.
The last time we met we had a discussion about keys.

You absolutely do not need a subordinating conjunction in order to form a complete sentence.

CJ

Clee62 · Answer

Hi CJ,

I thought we need a subordinate conjunction to connect one dependnt sentence and one independent one. Or it is a casual conversation so subordinate conjuction is not required?

thanks,

ryan

Yankee · Answer

Hi Clee62,

"The last time we met" tells you when in the sentence.

If the last time we met was yesterday, for example, then you could also say this:

- Yesterday it had to do with keys.

You could add a comma if you think that will make the sentence easier to read:

- The last time we met, it had to do with keys.

Run on sentence

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