Eliminate
Common Grammatical Mistakes:
The Comma
Splice
What
is a comma splice?
To
understand the comma splice, you must understand the independent and dependent
clause.
An independent clause is a complete sentence, a whole thought. It has a subject and an object, and it is not preceded by a subordinating
conjunction.
Example: The sun is high and hot. Example: I need a pencil.
Example: I like writing to her. Example: I went to the store.
A dependent clause is an incomplete sentence,
an unfinished thought. It, too, has a subject
and object, but it is preceded by a subordinating conjunction.
Example: Because I like writing to her
Example: Although
the sun is high and hot
When two independent clauses are connected by
only a comma, they create a run-on sentence that is called a “comma-splice.”
Example: The sun is hot, I like writing to her.
Example: I need a pencil, I went to the store.
How
can I correct a comma splice?
If
you use a comma to connect two independent clauses, it must be accompanied by
a coordinating conjunction such as for, and, nor, but, or yet, and so.
Comma splices can also be corrected by using a period (.), a semicolon
(;), or adding a subordinating conjunction such as after, although, because, if, since and while.
Example
1:
(WRONG) "The
sun is high, put on some sunscreen."
(RIGHT)
"The sun is high, so put on some sunscreen."
Example
2:
(WRONG) "This
next chapter has a lot of difficult information in it, you should start studying right away."
(RIGHT)
"This next chapter has a lot of difficult information in it. You should start studying right away."
(RIGHT) "This next
chapter has a lot of difficult information in it; you should start studying right
away."
Example
3:
(WRONG) "Mr.
Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges, however, he has sacrificed his health working day and night in that dusty bakery."
(RIGHT) "Mr. Nguyen
has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges; however, he has sacrificed
his health working day and night in that dusty bakery."
(RIGHT) "Mr.
Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges. However, he has sacrificed
his health working day and night in that dusty bakery."
Example
4:
(WRONG) "This
computer doesn't make sense to me, it came without a manual."
(RIGHT)
"This computer doesn't make sense to me. It came without a manual."
This
overview was adapted from http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/runons.htm
See also: Rules for Comma Usage at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_comma.html