Can I use "and" many times in one sentence?

Question

I was always under the impression I should not use "and" more than once. I have this text: "I appreciate that all my previous work experience is within office based industries however I am a quick learner, keen and enthusiastic and am looking to change to ensure longevity of career and that the remainder of my working life is spent doing something that I enjoy and that I can feel passionate about.Are there too many "ands" in that sentence?

Answer 1

Yes, you should not use conjunctions like “and,” “but,” or “or” too many times in one sentence. Doing so indicates you have created a run-on sentence. Run-on sentences are when a writer strings together multiple independent clauses, thoughts, without much punctuation. The result is a breathless reader, should that reader attempt to read the sentence out loud. Run-ons are confusing. It is easy for the reader to lose the thread of your thought or the point of your statement.

The sentence you have provided as an example could easily be three sentences. “However,” could start sentence #2. The last clause could also be separated into its own concluding sentence: “I would like to spend the remainder of my working life doing something I enjoy and feel passionately about.” Or, better yet, state it as a goal and ditch ending with a preposition:

”My goal is to dedicate the remainder of my career to one of my passions, doing work I enjoy.”