Comma Splice - QuillTools

What is an example of a comma splice?

Comma splice is trying to join independent clauses with a comma in the same sentence like in this example:

I am friend with John, we play tennis together.

The use of comma is wrong and it is called comma splice. 

Now to identify and fix comma splice suspect, you need to understand what are independent clauses.

In the example above, every clause in an independent clause which means it is enough if used separately in a sentence. Here's a way to fix it from many ways you'll see in this article:

Because I am friend with John, we play tennis together.

Now the use of comma is correct!

Comma splices are  mistakes that students and people in general do in exams or in their writing. It can seem one of the must difficult thing to master in grammar, but you just need to pay a little bit of attention to see how much they can be easy to understand.

What is the splice comma rule?

The splice comma rule is very simple; you don't join two independent clauses with a comma. This grammatically incorrect. To understand it more, let's put it this way; a comma is weak compared to the semicolon or the period. It cannot stand in a complete sentence that has independent clauses.

If you want to join independent clauses, you can do it using a semicolon, a period or with the help of other ways like by adding conjunction which is called the conjunction fix. We will see each way whit examples in the next parts. 

What are the 6 ways to fix a comma splice?

Here are the 6 ways to fix a comma splice:

1. Use a period
2. Use  a semicolon
3. Add a coordinating conjunction with a comma
4. Add a coordinating conjunction without a comma
5. Add a subordinating conjunction in the middle
6. Add a subordinating conjunction at the beginning and comma

Each fix of comma splice will depend on the context and the writer choice. If you are a beginner, it is easier to use instead of a comma, a semicolon or use simple sentences with period at the end of each one. While progressing, you can learn to add conjunction and be more advanced in the way you fix comma splice.

How to fix a comma splice using a period?

To fix a comma splice using a period you just have to remove comma and join independent clauses with a period. Which means turning every independent clause into a sentence on its own.

Here is an example of a comma splice:

I go to school every day, I take the school bus at the morning.

To fix this sentence, we are going to remove the comma and replace it by period to have two sentences instead. This means also that we are not using a compound sentence anymore.

Explore our Parallel Structure page.

Check also our Imperative Sentence page.

You can also check our free version of Sentence Counter.

I go to school every day. I take the school bus at the morning.

This is a correct way to write sentences and is the preferred way for beginners to perfect their writing, and progress consistently.

How to fix a comma splice using a semicolon?

To fix a comma splice using a semicolon, it is very simple. You just have to join the independent clause with a semicolon. Let's take again the example above:

I go to school every day, I take the school bus at the morning.

Before replacing the comma with semicolon, it is important to note that semicolons are used to join independent clauses but can't be used to join clauses that are not meaningful to each other. In our case, the two clauses are related, so we can fix the comma splice like this:

I go to school every day; I take the school bus at the morning.

Here are an example where the semicolon fix isn't possible:

People from all over the world know who he is, I am very hungry at this moment.

Those two clauses aren't related in the meaning; they cannot be joined with a semicolon. In fact the only way to join them is to use a period.

Another thing to remember, is that semicolon is stronger than comma an can be used alone. This is why when using comma to join independent clauses, we need some backup.

(You can use our during your writing and for exercising with sentences)

How to fix a comma splice using a coordinating conjunction and a comma?

You can join independent clauses using a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) preceded by a comma. Here is an example:

I go to school every day, and I take the school bus at the morning.

I go to school every day, so I take the school bus at the morning.

The "nor" and "or" are generally used with "neither" and "either", but as a beginner better to stick with other ones as they are used mostly in an older English style.

To remember all coordinating conjunctions, you can refer to them by the acronym FANBOYS which holds the initials of every coordinating conjunction.

Explore our Parallel Structure page.

Check also our Imperative Sentence page.

You can also check our free version of Sentence Counter.

How to fix a comma splice using a coordinating conjunction without a comma?

To apply this fix, it is important to apply some changes on the second independent clause to make the clauses independent like in this example:

I go to school every day and take the school bus at the morning.

The coordination conjunction is as weak as the comma however by omitting the pronoun, our two clauses had became independent. Now the coordinating conjunction has enough power to stand alone without the need to a comma.

This is how you can simply do it, and as you see you, you can play with to do whatever your like depending on the context, and stay grammatically correct. This is also very useful to know to be aware of the tricks than can come in your exam.

(You can use our during your writing and for exercising with sentences)

How to fix a comma splice using a subordinating conjunction?

Use a subordinating conjunction between two independent clauses without a comma like in this example:

I wear my pair of glasses because they protect me from blue light.

A subordinating conjunction is as powerful as a period and can stand alone between two independent clauses. 

Now you can't use a comma with a subordinating conjunction, so remember that to not make any mistake even when you are dealing with the tricky situations.

How to fix a comma splice using a subordinating conjunction and a comma?

Use a subordinating conjunction in the beginning of your sentence, and you will need to add a comma between the independent clauses. Here's an example:

Because I wear my pair of glasses, my eyes are protected from blue light.

As I wear my pair of glasses, my eyes are protected from blue light.

What is a comma splice and a complete sentence?

A comma splice is a misplacement of a comma in a sentence composed of two clauses, and a complete sentence is a a sentence that has a subject, a verb and an object.

They are totally different, and people mistake comma splice for a type of a sentence. You can refer to the paragraphs above to understand more about comma splice and the way to fix it.

You can use our during your writing and for exercising with sentences.

Explore our Parallel Structure page.

Check also our Imperative Sentence page.