What is a comma splice?
Answer
A run-on sentence is when two or more simple sentences run together without correct punctuation.
A particular type of run-on sentence is called a comma splice. A comma splice occurs when a comma is used alone between two sentences.
A comma is strong enough to hold two small things together, such as phrases, but it must be paired with a conjunction to hold sentences together.
Example: Joe plays varsity football; he is the team's starting quarterback. A comma is not strong enough to hold these two sentences together; a different type of punctuation is needed.
This comma splice is easy to repair. Just do one of the following:
- Break it into two sentences: Joe plays varsity football. He is the team's starting quarterback.
- Separate the sentences with a semicolon: Joe plays varsity football; he is the team's starting quarterback.
- Use a connecting word (and, or, yet, so, for, nor, but) to form a compound sentence: Joe plays varsity football and is the team's starting quarterback.
You may also find this answer about proper comma usage helpful. Another helpful answer is about fixing run-on sentences.
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