Final answer:
A run-on sentence is when independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions. Examples like 'The average American family's expenses have risen faster than incomes they have saved less than prior generations' and 'The DNR eventually designated the area as crucial habitat the protection came too late to save the nesting birds' illustrate such errors which can be corrected with proper punctuation and connectors.
Step-by-step explanation:
A run-on sentence occurs when two or more complete sentences (independent clauses) are joined without proper punctuation or a coordinating conjunction. To correct a run-on sentence, you can employ several methods, such as adding a period to create separate sentences, using a semicolon, adding a coordinating conjunction with a comma, or transforming one of the clauses into a subordinate clause.
The example of a run-on sentence provided is: 'The average American family's expenses have risen faster than incomes they have saved less than prior generations.' This sentence should be split into two distinct sentences or revised to include proper joining elements to avoid being a run-on.
Another example is: 'The DNR eventually designated the area as crucial habitat the protection came too late to save the nesting birds.' This sentence can be revised by adding a semicolon or by using a conjunction such as 'but' or 'and' after a comma to properly connect the two independent clauses.