Comma Splices
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: COMMA SPLICES
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
One of the most common punctuation errors in written English is the comma splice. If you have no idea what that is, though, well, you’re not alone. A comma splice occurs when you try to connect (or splice together) two complete sentences using only a comma. For example, if you write: “I’m hungry comma let’s eat,” you have two full sentences, “I’m hungry” and “Let’s eat,” connected by only a comma. And that’s a comma splice.
Those two clauses seem closely related, so it seems logical to connect them with a comma.
Unfortunately, a comma is just not perceived as strong enough for the job of linking independent clauses. It’s like holding bricks together with peanut butter instead of mortar.
We see comma splices occurring more frequently in popular communication, so although many English teachers hold the comma splice in their top ten error list, this “error” may lose its gravity eventually.
For now, however, in order to avoid (or fix) a comma splice, it helps to know that an independent clause is any clause that can make sense as a sentence all on its own. For instance, “I’m hungry” is an independent clause because it makes sense as a stand-alone sentence. However, “When I’m hungry,” is a dependent clause because it can’t stand alone. It needs another clause to complete the relationship implied by “when”—for instance, “When I’m hungry, [comma] I get cranky.”
So a comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined by nothing more than a comma. Some people might also refer to a sentence with a comma splice as a run-on sentence. Technically, though, a run-on has no punctuation between the independent clauses: “I’m hungry let’s eat.” True run-ons seem to be less common, though, probably because most people hear at least some sort of pause between those two clauses, even if they’re not quite sure what to do with it.
There are three ways to fix a comma splice. First, you can use a comma along with a coordinating conjunction. There are 7 coordinating conjunctions in English: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
You can remember them with the acronym FANBOYS. The first way to fix our example, then, would be to write, “I’m hungry [comma] so let’s eat.”
A second way to correct a comma splice is by separating the two independent clauses with a semicolon. Using a semicolon indicates to your reader that the two thoughts, though separate, are closely related. So, you’d have “I’m hungry [semicolon] let’s eat.”
The easiest way to fix a comma splice, though, is simply to replace the offending comma with a period and create two sentences: “I’m hungry [period] … Let’s eat.” Each of these solutions slightly changes the rhythm and feel of your sentences, so choose the option that best expresses your meaning and gets food on the table.
This has been "In a Word," a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: COMMA SPLICES
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
One of the most common punctuation errors in written English is the comma splice. If you have no idea what that is, though, well, you’re not alone. A comma splice occurs when you try to connect (or splice together) two complete sentences using only a comma. For example, if you write: “I’m hungry comma let’s eat,” you have two full sentences, “I’m hungry” and “Let’s eat,” connected by only a comma. And that’s a comma splice.
Those two clauses seem closely related, so it seems logical to connect them with a comma.
Unfortunately, a comma is just not perceived as strong enough for the job of linking independent clauses. It’s like holding bricks together with peanut butter instead of mortar.
We see comma splices occurring more frequently in popular communication, so although many English teachers hold the comma splice in their top ten error list, this “error” may lose its gravity eventually.
For now, however, in order to avoid (or fix) a comma splice, it helps to know that an independent clause is any clause that can make sense as a sentence all on its own. For instance, “I’m hungry” is an independent clause because it makes sense as a stand-alone sentence. However, “When I’m hungry,” is a dependent clause because it can’t stand alone. It needs another clause to complete the relationship implied by “when”—for instance, “When I’m hungry, [comma] I get cranky.”
So a comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined by nothing more than a comma. Some people might also refer to a sentence with a comma splice as a run-on sentence. Technically, though, a run-on has no punctuation between the independent clauses: “I’m hungry let’s eat.” True run-ons seem to be less common, though, probably because most people hear at least some sort of pause between those two clauses, even if they’re not quite sure what to do with it.
There are three ways to fix a comma splice. First, you can use a comma along with a coordinating conjunction. There are 7 coordinating conjunctions in English: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
You can remember them with the acronym FANBOYS. The first way to fix our example, then, would be to write, “I’m hungry [comma] so let’s eat.”
A second way to correct a comma splice is by separating the two independent clauses with a semicolon. Using a semicolon indicates to your reader that the two thoughts, though separate, are closely related. So, you’d have “I’m hungry [semicolon] let’s eat.”
The easiest way to fix a comma splice, though, is simply to replace the offending comma with a period and create two sentences: “I’m hungry [period] … Let’s eat.” Each of these solutions slightly changes the rhythm and feel of your sentences, so choose the option that best expresses your meaning and gets food on the table.
This has been "In a Word," a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]