Comma Splices

by Karen Reiser , guest contributor

Karen Reiser is a freelance writer and editor living in Northeast Ohio. Her experience editing varies over the past six years from trade magazines and physics journals to more literary works including novels and short stories.

The English language has many rules for punctuation. Since the comma is one of the language's most commonly used punctuation marks, it also tends to be the most misused. While writers can misuse the comma in a number of ways, their use of comma splices is one of the most typical errors. This article describes comma splices, suggests ways to correct it, and presents times when it might actually be acceptable.

What Is a Comma Splice?

As you probably know, an independent clause is a group of words with a subject and a predicate that can stand alone as a simple sentence. A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction. Consider the following sentence:

Kristy forgot to set her alarm, she woke up forty minutes late.

How to Correct a
Comma Splice

One way to remedy this error is to write the sentence as separate sentences:

Kristy forgot to set her alarm. She woke up forty minutes late.

Another acceptable remedy is to add a conjunction after the comma. A conjunction, in its simplest definition, is a word that connects sentences, clauses, or words within a clause. In this case, when joining two independent clauses of equal rank, the sentence requires a coordinating conjunction, the most common being and, but, or, nor, and so:

Kristy forgot to set her alarm, and she woke up forty minutes late.
Kristy forgot to set her alarm, so she woke up forty minutes late.

Finally, you can use a semicolon, which is stronger than a comma but weaker than a period. Its most common use is separating two independent clauses that are not joined with a conjunction:

Kristy forgot to set her alarm; she woke up forty minutes late.

When a Comma Splice Is
Not an Error

Like many rules, the comma rule has a few exceptions. Some sentences may actually require a comma splice as the most effective punctuation.
For instance, when the independent clauses are very short, especially when they have the same subject, the comma splice might be correct. The following sentence is the most famous example. A semicolon would be too strong in such a sentence:

I came, I saw, I conquered.

When two short, independent clauses express contrast, the comma splice may be the best solution:

It is not a dolphin, it's a porpoise.

While there are exceptions to the rule, it's best to use the comma splice sparingly or not at all. You can usually find better ways to punctuate your sentences.